The Dead of Night
by crammit
Summary: For hundreds of years, wolves and witches have existed in peaceful coexistence until a terrible threat seeks to tear that alliance apart. With witches on the brink of extinction, Brittany finds herself at the mercy of a beautiful stranger who isn't exactly what she seems.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** The Dead of Night  
><strong>Author:<strong> crammit  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Glee  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Brittany/Santana  
><strong>Timeline:<strong> AU  
><strong>Summary: <strong>For hundreds of years, wolves and witches have existed in peaceful coexistence until a terrible threat seeks to tear that alliance apart. With witches on the brink of extinction, Brittany finds herself at the mercy of a beautiful stranger who isn't exactly what she seems. With no other choice but to put her trust and her life in this woman's hands, will Brittany find the key to stopping the violence wiping out her people or will she instead experience the ultimate betrayal? - Rated M for sex, language, and violence

**A/N:** Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done.

**A/N:** I'm probably taking a few liberties with popular culture and its portrayals of witches and werewolves and I'm freely admitting that up front (just in case it ends up being "That's not how Willow did it" and "Scott McCall would NEVER!". LOL) While I'm not intending to follow anything directly from all the movies and television shows I've seen in my life that have witches and werewolves in them, I have no doubt that my mythology here will definitely be influenced by all of those things and my love for all of those things.

**A/N**: Big thanks again to **Uvaack** for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)

**A/N**: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated. :-)

* * *

><p>Breath racing from her lungs, Brittany barely feels the scrape of the bark across her shoulder as she sprints through the dense forest, turning sharply as the ball of light ahead of her veers to her left. She can hear the sounds of twigs snapping in the distance, the steady sound carrying across terrain made barren by winter and despite exhaustion pulling at her like stones tied to her feet, she keeps running as panic sharpens her focus. All she can see is the pale blue light guiding her to safety, her body moving on instinct as she leaps over fallen tree limbs, the fur pelt around her shoulders snagging on low-lying branches. Brittany knows that she'll move faster if she just drops the damn thing but she also knows that the artificial cold pushing at her back would freeze her skin instantly and so she continues to bear the weight of the enchanted pelt, her boots skidding across dead leaves as her shoulder clips another tree. Looking around, her panic spikes as she realizes that the forest is moving, the trees and underbrush pulled tighter in her path.<p>

Desperation pushes her forward, one hand clutching the clasp of the pelt at her neck to prevent it from being pulled off, the ball of light disappearing as it clears the edge of the forest in front of her. Darkness closes in as the moonlight is shielded by the tops of the trees, the ground shifting beneath her feet violently as the roots of the trees crack through the dirt seeking to send their falling trunks to block her path. Brittany places her hand on a fallen tree, vaulting it and stumbling as her pelt gets tangled on a tree limb. Sparing a precious second to turn around, Brittany wraps her hands around the pelt and pulls, sweat streaming down her back inside her tunic despite the unnatural chill in the air. Leaves brush against her hair, another tree limb joining the first as her pelt refuses to move. A low growl reaches her ears and she looks up, her blue eyes scanning the darkness even as her hands grasp fistfuls of the pelt and pull, her muscles trembling with fear and fatigue. The blue light catches her attention as it dances frantically at the corner of her vision and with a cry of frustration, Brittany pulls at the clasp at her neck, the pelt falling free as she turns and sprints towards the blue light, coldness gleefully slapping at her back as the growl grows louder.

With a final shout, Brittany bursts through forest, a cabin in the clearing her only focus as the blue light hovers near the door. Racing across the grass, the sound of splintering wood is drowned out by the blood racing in her ears, the inviting glow behind the windows of the cabin pulling her forward despite her muscles screaming in protest. Slamming into the door, Brittany knocks on the heavy wood, forcing herself not to turn around even as the sound of sprinting footsteps echo behind her. Closing her eyes and summoning the last of her strength, she pulls the blue light back into herself, holding her hands over the door handle, magic pouring through the wood and lifting the wooden bar on the other side. The moment she feels the bar clear the latch on the other side, Brittany pushes the door open and crosses the threshold, shutting the door behind her and pulling the wood bar back down.

Backing up, Brittany falls to her knees, her muscles tight and cramping as she holds her hands up towards the door once more, her breath wheezing from her lungs as she whispers a protection spell. The growling outside the cabin grows louder and she can hear movement behind her but she blocks all of that out, the tingling inside of her growing into an unbearable heat as her body reacts to the magic being called forth. A yelp outside the window brings a twisted smile to her mouth as the barrier around the cabin strengthens, the movement behind her has stopped but she's still aware of its presence, her heart racing in her chest as she rushes to finish the spell. Her words run together through dry lips as she sags back against her heels, her body swaying unsteadily as her strength starts to deplete. Gritting her teeth, Brittany finishes the last of the spell, opening her eyes as she pushes her magic out with force, the satisfying scream of pain from outside the cabin finally allowing her to fall onto her side on the floor. Faintly, she hears and feels the creatures bodies knocking into the barrier, testing it, and the growls of frustration that follow as footsteps race back towards the woods let her know that at least for tonight, she is safe.

Turning onto her back, Brittany feels the bone weary exhaustion pulling at her consciousness, her body wanting to sink into the soothing nothingness of the sleep that always follows the use of her magic like this. Slight movement sounds again just behind her and she only has the energy to turn her head, her heart jumping as she meets brown eyes, her body betraying her panicked thoughts as she tries to move, to flee from the presence next to her. But her escape through the forest and setting the barrier took everything she had and she can only watch from the floor, the low tingle of magic sputtering out as she starts to go under. The last thing she sees is the sleek black fur of a wolf, its brown eyes watching her as it starts to inch closer, Brittany's eyes fluttering closed just as the wolf's warm breath brushes across her face.

* * *

><p>The smell of stew teases Brittany awake and for a moment, with a soft bed under back, she can almost believe she's waking up at her sister's home, her nieces poised to pounce on her to ask for a story. The ache in her body tells a different story and with a gasp she sits up, memories of her flight from danger flooding back as she blinks rapidly, her hand going for a dagger that no longer sits at her waist. Going to move from the bed, Brittany is startled to find her ankle cuffed to the corner of the bed, confusion and fatigue muddling her clarity as she pulls the covers away from her legs and sees the binding holding her in place. Tugging at it produces no result and as she raises her hands to use magic to break the knots, she hears a voice behind her, her head whipping around to find a raven-haired woman sitting at a table, Brittany's pouches and dagger laid out on top of the wood.<p>

"You won't be able to break that, you know."

Keeping an eye on the woman, Brittany tries anyway, giving up after a few moments with a sigh, glaring slightly as the woman eases back further into the chair, the corner of her lips turning up in a small smile. "Told you."

"Who are you?"

"Who am I? You come bursting into my home in the middle of the night and you don't know who I am? How did you find my cabin?"

Taking a moment to look around, Brittany is finally able to take in the interior of the cabin, the simple furnishings clean and tidy, herbs and vegetables on a small table by one of the windows. A look over her other shoulder reveals a loft and some kind of work bench underneath it but for the most part, the cabin seems to consist of a single large room and the stranger sitting across from her. Eyeing the bowl of stew next to the woman's elbow, Brittany's stomach makes its presence known pitifully, color blooming across her cheeks as the woman's smile grows slightly. A few more moments of silence pass as the woman just watches her and Brittany feels her embarrassment grow as she finally mumbles out her answer, her eyes looking down at her hands fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. "My ball of light found your cabin."

The woman continues to watch Brittany, her boots scraping slightly across the floor as she shifts to lean forward, her elbows resting on her knees. "Your ball of light found my cabin."

"Yes."

"Why were you seeking?"

The familiar term brings Brittany's eyes back to the woman's but before she can answer her, there's a scraping sound at the door and Brittany's muscles tense immediately, the threat from earlier rushing back. As the woman watches, Brittany closes her eyes, reaching out with her magic towards the barrier, the woman's voice confirming what Brittany soon finds out. "Your barrier still holds."

Standing, the woman makes her way towards the entrance, the scratching at the door growing louder as she approaches. As she places her hand on the door to open it, Brittany's question brings her attention back, the door opening before Brittany can finish asking it. "If the barrier still holds, then how is it possible that…"

The door opens to reveal a large gray wolf, golden markings running across its head and under its belly, its hazel eyes pinning Brittany to the bed as it steps across the threshold, blood staining its mouth as a rabbit dangles from its teeth. A warning rumble sounds from its chest and Brittany curses the binding keeping her leg tied to the bed, her body shifting as much as she can as she brings her hands forward, her power gathering as the wolf takes another step closer.

Calmly, the woman brings her hand to the wolf's head, stroking its fur gently as she reaches to take the rabbit from its mouth. Turning its head, the wolf and the woman look at each, another warning rumble sounding before the wolf looks at Brittany, its teeth showing briefly before it turns and leaves the cabin, its howl joined by another before taking off. As the woman shuts the door, she detours to put the rabbit onto a side table, dipping her hands into a water bucket before sitting in front of Brittany once more.

"She won't hurt you. You can relax your hands now."

"What about you?"

"I won't hurt you either. Trust me, if I wanted to hurt you, it would have been easier to do so last night. Please, relax your hands."

Looking down, Brittany realizes her hands are fisted at her sides, her magic glowing faintly between the spaces of her fingers. Taking a deep breath, she pulls the magic back, tugging once more on the bind around her leg. "And I won't hurt you. Can you untie me now?"

"Tell me why you were seeking, first?"

Hitting the mattress lightly, Brittany gestures to the cabin, hunger and annoyance chipping away at the gratitude she first felt upon waking up and realizing that she had survived through the night. "In case you didn't notice last night, I was being hunted. I sought safe shelter and was brought here."

"Who were you running from?"

"It's none of your business."

Scoffing, the woman gestures to the spot on the floor where Brittany cast her protection spell last night, tapping the table where Brittany's things sit. "It _is_ my business when you bring it into my home."

At that, Brittany sighs, reaching up to brush her hair back over her shoulder as she takes a deep breath and apologizes. "You're right. For that, I am sorry. I wasn't really thinking and just followed where I was being led to but, to be fair, when you're running for your life, everything else becomes a bit of a blur. When I finally made it here, the only thing I could think of was casting that barrier and not dying."

"Fair enough."

"Speaking of which, how are you able to be inside my barrier? Why was the other one able to pass through?"

It's the woman's turn to sigh as she looks down at the floor, her dark hair shielding her face for a moment before she meets Brittany's eyes once more. "I think maybe there are some things we both need to discuss with each other."

"Could we maybe do it when I'm not tied up to the bed?"

Agreeing, the woman nods her head and waves her hand toward the binding, the cloth coming free seconds later. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Brittany stands, glancing back at the binding before looking at the woman, her eyebrows raised towards her hairline. "How did you do that? I thought, last night I thought…weren't you…"

"Like I said, we should probably talk."

Walking cautiously towards the table, Brittany's stomach growls loudly as she spots the stew again, hunger outweighing everything as she points towards the bowl at the woman's elbow. "Is it okay if we talk over some of that stew?"

"Yes, of course. Sit and I'll bring you some."

As the woman goes to move toward the fireplace, Brittany remains standing, blocking the woman's way as she holds her hand out. With a small smile, Brittany meets the woman's curious gaze, shrugging a little under the scrutiny. "I'm Brittany. Thank you for…well, thank you for letting me barge into your home last night and thank you for letting me stay here and for the meal. I'm sorry we sort of got off on the wrong foot earlier."

The woman hesitates for a moment before reaching out to shake Brittany's hand, her dark eyes serious as she answers Brittany. "I'm Santana. You're welcome for the food. As for the rest, I think perhaps you should save your gratitude until after we talk. You may not thank me once we're through."


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** The Dead of Night  
><strong>Author:<strong> crammit  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Glee  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Brittany/Santana  
><strong>Timeline:<strong> AU  
><strong>Summary: <strong>For hundreds of years, wolves and witches have existed in peaceful coexistence until a terrible threat seeks to tear that alliance apart. With witches on the brink of extinction, Brittany finds herself at the mercy of a beautiful stranger who isn't exactly what she seems. With no other choice but to put her trust and her life in this woman's hands, will Brittany find the key to stopping the violence wiping out her people or will she instead experience the ultimate betrayal? - Rated M for sex, language, and violence

**A/N:** Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done.

**A/N: **Just wanted to say thanks to everyone that's reviewed, followed, and favorited this story so far. I really hope you enjoy staying on this ride as I post more chapters. This story is a bit out of my comfort level as far as content but I think that's part of the fun. At least, I keep telling myself that as I outline the story and pretend I'm not overwhelmed at telling the story that I see in my head. :-)

**A/N**: Big thanks again to **Uvaack** for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)

**A/N**: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated. :-)

* * *

><p>Santana watches Brittany eat for a few minutes, her own spoon unmoving in the bowl of stew in front of her. Watching as Brittany eyes the bread for the second time, Santana wordlessly rips off another piece and hands it to her, accepting the thank-you said through a mouthful of stew with a small smile. Their discussion was mutually put on hold as Santana could barely get the bowl down in front of Brittany before she was reaching for the spoon, grateful sounds of appreciation falling from her lips with each spoonful. The way Brittany's eyes grew big as the bread was placed on the table broke a small layer of tension that had been sitting between them and lunch had progressed in an easy silence.<p>

Having been where Brittany is, body hollowed out from magic use and craving sustenance, Santana granted her the time to eat in peace, questions and explanations put to the side for now. But she feels her pack pacing the edge of the forest, their thoughts pulling at her as they roam her land, anxiety turning her appetite away. Needing a moment to think, she stands, pushing her bowl towards Brittany and gesturing for her to take her stew. "Here. It looks as if you could use another bowl."

Wiping her mouth, Brittany sheepishly pulls the bowl closer, her stomach still feeling empty despite the food she already consumed. Swallowing, she scratches at the side of her nose, suddenly feeling self-conscious as she looks down at the amount of food on her side of the table. "I'm sorry. I'm usually not so…I don't know…hungry like this. You must think I'm a pig."

Smiling a little at that, Santana shakes her head, reaching across the table to put the bread in front of Brittany as well. "Not at all. I've experienced the same so I know how the hunger feels, like a deep well that never fills, no matter how much food you put in there. You are welcome to everything on this table."

"Thank you."

Inclining her head as Brittany picks up her spoon, Santana steps to the other table and grabs the rabbit and a small knife, walking towards the door as Brittany follows her movements with her eyes. "I'm going to prepare the rabbit. Finish eating and then when you're ready, come outside and we'll talk."

"But what about…"

"Your barrier will hold."

With that, Santana steps outside and takes a deep breath, shutting the door quietly as she walks around to the back of the cabin, aware of at least three pairs of eyes that are watching her movements. Putting the knife down on a high workbench, Santana secures the hind legs of the rabbit onto the hooks jutting out from the side. As she begins to skin the rabbit, her mind wanders to the woman sitting inside the cabin behind her.

To have someone show up on her land under normal circumstances would be cause for worry, but to have a witch show up, fleeing from what was no doubt a pack of dark wolves, brings an unease to Santana that she hadn't felt in quite a few months. Connell had recovered what was left of Brittany's pelt from the night before and even mostly destroyed, Santana could feel the magic that lingered there. Pulling the rabbit skin free, Santana turns and hangs the small pelt from a rack hanging by the side of the back window of the cabin, catching a glimpse of Brittany's blonde hair as she continues to eat at the small wooden table.

Frowning, Santana puts the rabbit on the block in front of her, butchering it with practiced ease as she wonders how and why Brittany was able to find her cabin despite the cloaking spell that Santana placed around her property. She thought they'd be safe here, away from the worst of the fighting, biding their time until…she's still not sure until what, really. A trickle of shame runs into her thoughts at the notion that she's hiding away from everything , somehow allowing the slaughter to continue unhindered even though she knows there's not much she can do. Looking up, she spots Connell's light gray fur as he slowly emerges from the edge of the woods, no doubt drawn there by Santana's troubled thoughts. Letting out a deep breath, Santana sends him a small smile, holding his gaze until he turns and heads back on his patrol.

Gathering the rabbit into a wooden bowl, Santana squares her shoulders, resolve straightening her spine as she goes about cleaning the knife. There may not be much she can do in this war, but she can, and will, take care of her pack. These people that came to follow her, trusting her to protect them even if she was still learning how to lead them properly, are all she can worry about right now. Placing the knife onto the table in front of her, Santana turns at the sound of footsteps approaching the back of the cabin, clenching her jaw once as she realizes she now does have one more thing to worry about.

"Thank you again for lunch, Santana." Brittany stops a few feet away from where Santana is standing, having regained enough of her strength after eating to sense the tension in Santana even from here.

"Do you feel better?"

"I do." Gesturing to the herbs that Santana is pulling from a large pouch dangling from the table, Brittany slowly walks over and meets Santana's eyes. "Do you want help with that?"

Santana's instinct is to refuse, pride and stubbornness wanting her to be the one to take care of preparing dinner for tonight, but she recognizes Brittany's offer for what it is. A returning of the goodwill that Santana showed her last night and today and so she nods her head, stepping back and leaning against the back of the cabin, watching as Brittany starts to season the rabbit. There are a few pouches, each containing different herbs, and Santana finds her curiosity peaked as she notices the ones that Brittany chooses and the ones she passes over.

"Stonebridge."

Looking up from where she has been rubbing lark's thistle and sage against one of the rabbit legs, Brittany cocks her head slightly at Santana's statement. "What of it?"

"That's where you're from, isn't it? Stonebridge."

Grabbing another piece, Brittany smiles slightly and continues to season the rabbit. "I am. How did you know?"

"People from Stonebridge are the only ones that would use lark's thistle for their rabbit. You don't find it too sweet?"

"That's what the sage is for, to balance out the sweetness. It's a trick my mother taught me." Trailing off, Brittany looks away from Santana, concentrating on her task as Santana shuffles her boots against the dirt.

Recognizing the sadness that seemed to come over Brittany's face as she spoke, Santana asks her next question softly, purposely watching Brittany's hands instead of her face. "Did something happen to her?"

Finishing the seasoning, Brittany cleans her hands and walks over to a tall barrel filled with dark soil, leaning back against it and keeping the table between her and Santana. The gesture isn't lost on Santana and so she waits quietly for Brittany to speak, giving Brittany the courtesy of meeting her blue eyes as she looks over at Santana.

"My mother and father, along with the rest of my coven, were killed about six months ago."

There's a hint of anger in Brittany's voice as she looks at Santana and she knows without asking that it wasn't an accident or a fire or a storm that brought them down, but the dark wolves and those witches that aligned with them.

The wind picks up slightly, the scent of it carrying a promise of rain and both of their gazes are drawn west for a moment, the blue skies belying the storm that is brewing just over the horizon. Looking back at Brittany, Santana asks the obvious question, her hands smoothing down the front of her shirt as she prepares herself for Brittany's answer. "How did you survive?"

Pacing away from the barrel, Brittany keeps her gaze focused on the sky, debating on whether to be honest with Santana. While it's true that Santana could have easily struck her down last night, or even again earlier in the day when she was bound to the bed, Brittany isn't sure if those actions were a reprieve or an indication of trust between them. Inhaling slowly, Brittany takes a chance and answers Santana, a quick prayer said that her instinct to trust won't betray her. "I was preparing for my Tashkasa."

Pushing away from the wall, Santana keeps her eyes on the side of Brittany's face, her voice measured as she responds to Brittany's admission. "You were high council of your coven?"

"Not yet."

"The Tashkasa is a formality at best, Brittany."

"Not to me it wasn't." Turning to face Santana, Brittany feels familiar anger and guilt drape itself over her shoulders. "My parents thought the same as you, that two days in the woods to perform some ancient ritual was archaic and unneeded since my birthright made me high council. But I was stubborn and wanted to prove myself, prove my worth to the coven, and so I left. Two days in the woods with chants and herbs and offerings, all while my family and my coven were being slaughtered. I completed the Tashkasa but to what end? It was a foolish, childish choice."

"To what end? You lived."

"And they died." Running her hands over her face, Brittany's shoulders drop as she repeats the words softly. "They died. I returned from the woods, a little smug because I had completed the ritual, and was greeted by death. My coven had managed to kill a few of the dark wolves and two of the witches that were with them with a third barely alive. He had enough breath to laugh at me, mocking my pain with the last of his strength until I took that from him."

A faraway rumble of thunder breaks the intensity of Brittany's gaze and Santana swallows hard as Brittany looks back to the sky. The energy around Brittany is sharp and Santana can feel the tingle of it along her skin, her own magic humming in her veins in response. Forcing herself to relax once again against the cabin, Santana tucks her hands into her pockets, breathing through the heaviness of the magic in the air. "What did you do next?"

"I gave those that could still be buried a proper burial and burned a ceremonial fire for the rest. I gathered what I could and left to go to my sister in Briar's Landing but it…I was too late there as well."

"Brittany, I am so sorry."

Meeting Santana's eyes briefly, Brittany sees the sympathy in them and takes a small measure of comfort in it, nodding her head in gratitude at the offer of condolence.

"Where did you go after Briar's Landing?"

"I wandered, mostly. I didn't know where to go, if I'm being honest. After a few days, I thought maybe I'd head further south. Supposedly the packs were thinner and more spread out there and I thought I could pass through, maybe find some survivors."

"And did you?"

"Not for about a month. That first month was hard." Running her hands over the daggers resting against each side of her waist, Brittany walks a little closer to Santana, leaning her hip against the wooden table in front of her. "I had basic fighting skills but growing up I didn't see the need to really work on them. My magic was enough. It had always been enough. But that first month? When food and water were scarce and the Sun was baking everything within its reach? I learned quickly that my daggers could be my best friend when my magic was depleted and I had a dark wolf or dark witch to fight. It wasn't pretty but when it's your life or theirs, being able to block with a proper technique isn't as important as just being able to deflect fangs aimed at your neck. After about a month or so, I finally came across a witch that wasn't trying to kill me. She was heading east to Rivers Run, to the last known coven in that area."

"And you willingly went with her? How could you trust her?" The irony of Santana's question isn't lost on her as Brittany meets her eyes sharply and Santana has the good grace to blush. Recognizing that not only was that trust warranted, as Brittany is standing there alive in front of Santana, but also that Brittany gave Santana that same trust, she softens her tone. Rubbing her hands up and down her upper arms as the temperature dips slightly, the storm moving ever closer to them, Santana shrugs her shoulders. "I just mean, how did you know she wasn't with those trying to kill you?"

"She saved my life. I had been distracted setting up my camp for the night and had allowed a small pack to flank me. I barely heard the first howl before they were on me. I managed to kill one but lost one of my daggers in the process and my magic was hardly there, my few days without food sapping most of my strength. I think they thought I would be an easy victory, and they were right of course, except out of nowhere this woman comes charging into my camp, her sword almost as tall as she was and within minutes, all the dark wolves were slain. She gave me food and helped me get my camp set up away from the attack and that's when she told me about the Rivers Run coven. Even if she hadn't just saved my life, I would have gone with her. At that point, I had no plans and no idea of what I was going to do. Following Siobhan seemed as good a plan as any."

"You made it to Rivers Run then I take it?"

"We did. It took us a couple of weeks to make it there but I'm grateful for the time spent traveling with her because she more than made up for my years of neglecting my fighting skills. I was better with my magic and we would trade off on lessons as a way to pass the time. Eventually we made it to Rivers Run and we found refuge with the coven there."

Another rumble of thunder rolls across the sky and Santana straightens up, walking over to gather the bowl with the seasoned rabbit. Swiping her hand across the top, she says a brief incantation that will preserve the meat until she's ready to cook it later. "I think this storm is moving faster than it looks if that thunder is any indication. We should probably head inside."

Falling into step with Brittany as they start to walk, Santana asks the one question that's been on her mind since the previous night. "Brittany, if you found the coven at Rivers Run, how is it you ended up here at my cabin last night?"

"The coven was working on a plan to try and stop the spread of the dark wolves. They wanted to figure out a way to somehow make us stronger, make all the remaining witches stronger, so we could fight them and stop our kind from being destroyed. But somehow we were found out, even with the protection spell we cast around the edges of the town, and we were attacked. We all scattered and I fled into the woods with Siobhan and a few others but they managed to cut most of us down pretty quickly. By nightfall, only Siobhan and I were left and somehow we got separated. I knew the dark wolves were close so I cast a seeking spell, hoping to find safe shelter and it led me here to your cabin."

Pausing at the door, Santana looks back at Brittany, watching as she shivers slightly against the wind. "Do you think Siobhan made it?"

"I hope so. I was going to try a locator spell but after last night, I don't know that…" Walking through the threshold as Santana opens the door, Brittany's words trail off as she catches sight of a woman sitting near the center table, her black boots resting on its surface. Her green tunic is tucked into a pair of fitted black pants and Brittany can just make out the markings of some kind of symbol sewn onto the bottom of one of her sleeves. Her appraisal is brought up short at the tone of the woman's voice as she looks at Brittany.

"Why is she still here?"

"Quinn, be nice." Detouring, Santana knocks Quinn's feet from table, pointedly ignoring the glare sent her way as she heads over to put the rabbit by the fireplace. "Brittany, this is Quinn. You…uh…well, you met her earlier today."

Recognizing the hazel eyes as the same eyes from the wolf that was at Santana's door earlier, Brittany makes a wide berth as she goes to sit on a bench by the opposite window, the curl of Quinn's smirk at her actions causing her to look away in embarrassment before she introduces herself. "It's nice to meet you, Quinn."

"Is it?"

Santana deliberately passes between Brittany and Quinn as she goes to take a seat at the table, breaking their staring contest to look at Quinn, a silent command passing between them. Sitting up a little straighter in her seat, Quinn mumbles a more proper greeting to Brittany before looking over at Santana.

"With all due respect, Santana, I think it's a fair question. Why is she still here?" Glancing at Brittany, Quinn jerks her thumb over her shoulder, indicating the back of the cabin. "I heard your stories and I _am_ sorry to hear about your family. Truly, you have my sympathies for that. But it just seems convenient that you're the only one to ever escape and stay alive."

"Quinn, you shouldn't have been eavesdrop…"

"You should have put up a silence barrier if you didn't want anyone to hear your conversation, Santana. I just think that having her show up here out of the blue is odd and I don't trust her. If you won't put this pack's safety ahead of…"

Brittany hears the low growl come from Santana before her body language shifts and the change in Quinn is almost immediate. Sitting up as the tension in the room grows, Brittany watches as Santana holds Quinn's attention, the short haired woman eventually dropping her gaze, her body language every bit of deference to Santana. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that, not in that way."

"No. You shouldn't have." Reaching out, Santana rests her hand lightly over Quinn's on the table, holding it there until Quinn's hazel eyes meet her gaze once more. "But I appreciate your protectiveness. For right now, you don't have to trust her. You just have to trust me."

Santana knows that Brittany is watching them but she keeps looking at Quinn until she sees the small nod she was looking for, relaxing back into her chair as she watches Quinn do the same. Seeking to lighten the mood, Santana smiles at Quinn, reaching up to pull her black hair into a ponytail as she nods her chin towards Quinn's chair. "Why are you here with your boots on my table? The table where I eat my food, if you recall."

Quinn flushes a bit at that, rolling her eyes in apology as she answers Santana. "Connell thinks that Rachel should be returning in the next day or two, three days at best."

"Is Rachel part of your pack?"

Brittany's question draws Quinn's attention quicker than Santana's and Brittany patiently holds her glare, the unreadable expression on Quinn's face in direct counterpoint to the tone of her voice. "Rachel is none of your concern, stranger."

"Quinn, it's okay."

Santana understands Quinn's unease, the protectiveness Quinn feels for Rachel is apparent to everyone in their pack and more than likely apparent to anyone who would see them together. Despite the way that Brittany burst into their lives last night, Santana has a very real sense that there isn't malice in Brittany and that, while a threat due to her powerful magic, Brittany isn't there to harm them. That doesn't mean, however, that Santana is willing to divulge all of her pack's business.

"Rachel is part of my pack, yes. She's away on an errand for me right now."

Quinn snorts out a sarcastic laugh at Santana's choice of words but doesn't comment any further, choosing instead to still stare at Brittany where she sits.

Wanting to remove herself from the tension in the room, Brittany stands up and walks towards Santana, the energy from the approaching storm pulling at her. "Santana, I'm going to go outside and recharge for a little bit, if that's okay."

Understanding Brittany's reason, as she feels the pull as well, Santana nods her head and stands, opening the door for Brittany and leaning against the doorframe as she watches Brittany walk towards the middle of the field in front of the cabin.

Easing her body down to the ground, Brittany sits comfortably facing west, calling forth a small touch of magic to chase the chill from the air around her body. Taking a deep breath, she keeps her eyes open, welcoming the fragrant wind as it blows her blonde hair back over her shoulders, her hands coming to rest lightly against the top of her thighs. With another calming breath, Brittany relaxes her body and quiets her mind, whispering the Calling of the Elements as she gathers the energy around her. Her skin feels warm as power flows into her blood and bones, the flash of lightning bringing a smile to her face. She gives thanks to the earth and the sky for the gift of her light magic, renewing her promise to do no harm except in the course of protecting herself, those she loves, and the innocents she comes across in her travels. A booming clap of thunder ushers in colder air and even the arctic thunder storms that are native to this land are welcome as she finishes the Calling, Brittany's strength restored as she lets out a slow breath.

Deciding to rest there for a moment longer, she can see the edge of Santana's cabin out of the corner of her eye and she lets her thoughts wander. She was truthful in her answer to Santana, that her seeking spell is what brought her here but what she can't answer, even to herself, is why. Why Santana was the safe shelter that pulled at her magic. Why Santana, a witch among wolves in these dark times, was who the very essence of Brittany was drawn to when she was at her most vulnerable. Knowing the answer will only reveal itself when it's time, Brittany trains her sight back to the horizon, allowing herself a little more time alone and away from whatever is going on inside the cabin.

"Connell and Nicolas haven't stopped pacing and watching since Brittany went out there."

Quinn laughs as she sits back down at the table, reaching into a dark wooden bowl for a crisp green apple. Biting into it, she directs her comment to Santana's back as she had yet to turn away from the open doorway. "Good for them. They don't trust her either."

Before Santana could comment, Quinn continues speaking. "I'm just saying, Santana. I know what you said before but I want it known that I don't trust her."

"You don't trust anyone."

The silence that greets Santana's words makes her cringe and she turns around, an apology coming easily as she sees the flash of hurt on Quinn's face before she hides it. "I didn't mean that, Quinn."

"It's okay."

Sitting across from Quinn, Santana ducks her head and catches Quinn's eyes, making sure Quinn knows she's serious as she apologizes again. "It's not okay and I'm sorry I said it."

As Quinn shifts uncomfortably in her seat, apologies from Santana still taking getting used to, Santana decides to lighten the mood, at Quinn's expense. "Besides, I know you at least trust Rachel."

The blush that follows Santana's smirk dispels any of the tension from before and Santana laughs loudly as Quinn takes an intense interest in the apple in her hand. Kicking her foot at Santana's boot, Quinn finishes her bite of apple before resting her hand against the table, her voice taking on a serious tone once more. "I trust you, Santana. So tell me, what are you going to do about Brittany? She's a complete stranger and complete strangers on our land can never mean anything good."

Shrugging, Santana tries to play off her plan as nonchalant, choosing to ignore the arch of Quinn's eyebrow as she answers her. "I'm going to let her have refuge here for a few days. And then, I don't know. I guess she'll continue on to wherever she wants to go to next."

Tapping the edge of the apple against the table, Quinn doesn't answer right away, letting the side of her that wants to answer the way she really wants to die a slow death against the way she knows she should speak to Santana. Carefully, Quinn responds to Santana's plan, her tone respectful even as she lays out the reasons for her concern. "I'll go along with whatever you want, of course, but I just think we…you should be careful. No, just listen for one moment, okay?"

Swallowing down the urge to cut Quinn off, knowing that whatever she's going to say will likely match the doubts that Santana keeps trying to ignore, Santana leans back in her chair and closes her mouth, silently giving Quinn permission to continue.

"All I'm saying is she might still be dangerous to you and to us. Yes, she's been fine so far but if what you said she did last night is true? As weak and exhausted as she was, she cast a barrier spell that extended around the cabin and halfway to the edge of the forest, blocking not only the dark wolves but the _zchastiks_ that follow them? That means she has great power and great strength and we just need to be careful."

Chuckling a bit at the derogatory wolf term for dark witches, Santana concedes Quinn's point and stands, heading back over to the open door to observe Brittany once more. Laughing, Santana waves Quinn over, stepping out of the doorway as Quinn looks to where Santana is pointing.

At least a dozen mornleck butterflies flutter around Brittany, their bright blue wings and tell-tale red iridescent bodies seeming to dance around Brittany's outstretched arms. Quinn and Santana can hear Brittany giggling from across the field, watching as she gently waves them away while she stands up. A helpless smile pulls at Santana's mouth as she watches Brittany's hands falling to her side in playful defeat, one of the mornlecks landing on the tip Brittany's nose before flying off to join the rest.

Turning her head, Santana looks at Quinn with a smirk. "I think we'll be okay."

Quinn forces the smile she felt forming on her face to fade away, refusing to buy into the childish antics as easily as Santana. At the look on Santana's face, Quinn sighs away the brunt of the admonishment that was ready on her lips choosing instead to issue her warning gently, touching Santana's shoulder before moving away. "Just be careful. Betrayal can come from anyone, even those we trust the most."

Walking toward Santana, Brittany at least gets a curt wave as she calls out goodbye to Quinn who heads in the opposite direction. "Where is Quinn off to?"

"She's heading home. I doubt she wants to get caught in the storm."

Santana steps back and gestures for Brittany to enter the cabin ahead of her. As she passes, Brittany's shoulder brushes against Santana's arm and they both stop, the charge between them almost palpable. Stepping away from Santana, Brittany apologies, rubbing her shoulder where the skin still tingles. "Ah, sorry about that. After being so depleted, I think I took a little more energy than I needed."

Covering the unexpected jolt it gave her, Santana shrugs it off, turning and shutting the door and letting out a quiet breath, the low hum of awareness forcing her to close her eyes briefly before facing Brittany once more. A flash of light slices through the windows to illuminate the inside of the cabin, a long pull of crackling thunder following a few moments later as Brittany and Santana just watch each other. With an absent wave of her hand, Santana ignites the lanterns placed around the interior of the cabin, smiling in gratitude as Brittany beats her to it and lights the wood in the fireplace.

Moving toward a pack resting near the bed, Santana gestures towards the back of the cabin where a finely crafted dresser and large stone barrel sit, the sides smooth and wide enough to fit a person sitting down inside of it. "I'm going to head into the woods and gather some roots to go with dinner and bring the rabbit pelt into the shed before the rain comes. I have some clean clothes in the bottom of that dresser and you're welcome to wash up in that basin there before dinner."

"Will anyone be joining us for dinner?"

Santana hears the question inside of the question and knows that after meeting Quinn, and hearing about Connell and Rachel, Brittany is curious about her pack. Despite Quinn's words of warning lingering in her mind, Santana takes the question at face value and ignores the fact that she'll be alone with Brittany while a storm rages outside. "No, just us."

Nodding her head, Brittany pulls off the heavier shirt that was over her simple blue tunic, draping it evenly over the back of one of the chairs. As Brittany sits down to remove her boots, Santana suddenly worries that Brittany will take her suggestion of a bath and a change of clothes to heart right there while Santana is still in the cabin. Unwilling to think about why that causes of flush of warmth to her chest, Santana grabs the pack and hurries to leave, catching her boot on the edge of the bed and stumbling forward awkwardly.

Reaching out, Brittany stands up and braces Santana's shoulder, preventing her from falling. Standing there barefoot, her blonde hair messy where it falls over her shoulders, Brittany looks less like a threat and more like a temptation and Santana quickly takes a step back. Curious, Brittany smiles at Santana, resting back against the edge of the table. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just didn't realize you were going to strip naked while I was still in the cabin."

"Strip nak…oh, I'm not going to need a change of clothes. Not that I don't appreciate the offer, of course." As Santana observes, Brittany holds both hands above her head, closing her eyes as a pale blue light cascades from her fingertips down to her toes, seeming to get absorbed into the fabric of her clothes before cutting off abruptly. Running her fingers through her hair, the same blue light seems to wash across the delicate blonde strands before disappearing. Brittany gestures to her clothes and her hair with a small flourish, her grin widening as Santana slowly smiles. "My cousin Emma taught me this spell. She used to go on long hunting treks with my uncle and my other cousins and water wasn't always available for them to bathe or clean their clothes. Emma and I used it when we would sneak out at night to go swimming in the Dark Rose Lake to cover the sweet smell of the water. It made sneaking back into my uncle's farmhouse much easier when we didn't have to explain why we smelled like roses and huntersberries."

The soft look on Brittany's face as she tells the story captivates Santana and for the first time, she finds herself looking at Brittany, really looking at her. The feline curve of her eyes, the color of them calling to Santana's mind the still blue waters of Dancing Sea, and the subtle pink of her lips even now curved still in a smile. With the heavier shirt removed, Santana is able to see more clearly the shape of Brittany's body, the subtle flair of hips apparent even in the loose material of her dun colored pants, the tunic speaking to dips and curves that have Santana suddenly clearing her throat.

Tightening her hand on the pack, Santana clears her throat once more, wind starting to rattle the windows. "That's a nice spell and an even nicer memory. Thank you for sharing it with me."

Brittany was very aware of Santana's scrutiny as she finished her story and she can feel the flush in her cheeks as she sees the look in Santana's eyes. She expects to feel uncomfortable by it but with a dawning realization, it occurs to her that she likes the way Santana is looking at her. The nervous pulsing of Santana's fingers on the ties of the pack she's holding and the thumping of her own heart in her chest, pushes Brittany to break whatever moment they seem to be having and she stands up suddenly, moving away from Santana to where the seasoned rabbit is sitting.

"Do you want me to cook the rabbit while you're out?"

Gritting her teeth in annoyance at herself over probably being caught staring, Santana takes a deep breath and strides towards the door, pulling it open a bit roughly before looking back to find Brittany watching her. "Sure, that would be great. I shouldn't be but a little while."

Holding Brittany's unguarded gaze for a moment longer, Santana steps out and shuts the door, welcoming the slap of cold wind against her flushed skin as the storm moves ever closer.

* * *

><p>Holding her mug out, Brittany accepts Santana's offer of more wine, also accepting another compliment on the rabbit. "Brittany, I'm afraid I owe you quite the apology. When you were seasoning the rabbit earlier, I told myself that there was no way I would enjoy it covered in lark's thistle."<p>

"And now?"

"Now I'm wondering if you're going to eat the rest of what is on your plate."

Smiling, Brittany spears the last of her vegetables with her fork before offering Santana the rest of her rabbit. Biting into the sweet peppers, Brittany watches as Santana slides the rabbit onto her own plate, humming happily as she puts another piece into her mouth.

Swallowing, Santana takes a sip of wine, leaning back in her chair as the stretch in her belly lets her know she's close to being too full. "You said your mother taught you to cook?"

At Brittany's nod, Santana eyes the remaining rabbit on her plate. "Did she teach you to make other things?"

Brittany expected a pang of grief to follow Santana's question but as the rain continued to pound against the outside of the cabin, Brittany realized that sharing another story with Santana, her belly full and warm with wine, filled her more with a sense of bittersweet nostalgia.

"Truth be told, my mother was a wretched cook."

"Really?"

Laughing into her mug, Brittany nods her head, swallowing some more wine before matching Santana's pose and leaning back in her chair. "Yup. She could make two things. Rabbit and sweetcorn bread."

"If she could make those things, why was she such a bad cook otherwise?"

"My father and I could never figure that one out, to be honest. Luckily for the survival of our family, my father was a passable cook and as my sister and I grew older, we picked up some things along the way from our family and from our coven. Between the three of us, we kept ourselves and our mother fed and happy. But we could never make sweetcorn bread or rabbit quite like her."

"Well, I can honestly say that if this isn't as good as your mother's, you've at least done her excellent justice."

Raising her mug to meet Santana's toast, Brittany touches the rim of her mug to Santana's, accepting the compliment with a bashful smile. Watching as Santana takes the last bite of rabbit, Brittany rests her elbows on the table and meets Santana's eyes across the table. "What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes. What about your family? Where are they?"

The change on Santana's face happens so quickly that Brittany feels herself shrinking back a little in her chair, her hands dropping below the table to clasp together on her lap. Slowly Santana swallows, the look in her eyes closed off as she glances at Brittany's face before looking at the wine in her mug. "I don't want to talk about them."

Brittany wants to stop herself from speaking but the wine has made her curiosity bolder and so the words are out of her mouth before she can think to change them. "Why not?"

"I just don't want to talk about them."

"Oh, but it's fine for me to talk about my family, is that it?" For some reason, Santana's abruptness to not share makes Brittany feel vulnerable and she can feel a sliver of anger pushing its way into her tone.

"It's not that. I'm glad you shared your stories with me but I just can't…I don't want to talk about my family with you."

"Fine. What will you talk about with me?"

The defensiveness in Brittany's tone makes Santana want to knock her head against the table in frustration, knowing full well it's her own fault for ruining what was actually a nice time between them. "It's not that…"

"Why don't you start with telling me how Quinn was able to be a wolf in the middle of the day?"

"Brittany…"

"No. Answer me that. Or, even better, why don't you tell me how you were a wolf last night?"

At Santana's shocked expression, Brittany feels some of the rage over what she's experienced over these past few months come bubbling up, the bonding she'd experienced with Santana over the course of the day washed away by her anger. "Oh yes, I wasn't all the way out when you were with me in the cabin. I didn't see you at first, of course, since I was more worried about not dying by your kind who were trying to kill me. But your eyes are the same. All your wolves' eyes are the same when you're in human form. Even as a wolf Quinn's eyes are the exact color and shape and it's no different for you."

Sitting up straighter, Brittany's hands clench into fists in her lap, the silence coming from Santana doing nothing to deter Brittany's tirade. "So why don't you tell me? Tell me why it is, if you are what I think you are, that you haven't killed me yet? Hmmm? Is this fun for you? Well I'm telling you right now, you can try to kill me but I'm more powerful than you think and I won't let you just…"

"Enough!" Slamming her hand on the table, Santana stops Brittany's words, her empty mug teetering before rolling off the table to clatter to the floor, neither Brittany nor Santana even blinking at the sound. "It's true. Not that part about killing you. But what you thought you saw last night, it's true."

"You're a hybrid?"

Cringing at that word, Santana nods her head.

"How could you do that?" Standing, Brittany feels anger swirl again inside of her, her fingers tingling despite the warning look in Santana's eyes. "Why would you voluntarily take the bite? As a witch to then also become a dark wolf? To become one of those evil vile creatures, knowing that they are out there right now destroying us and you decided…"

"You think it was my choice?" Yelling, Santana stands as well, her chair scraping harshly across the floor before tipping over. Pulling roughly at the leather laces at the front of her shirt, Santana exposes her shoulder, the scars from the bite marks still bright red as if the injury had occurred only recently. "I was stripped of my clothes and tied down, held down as I was bitten, the change happening while a roomful of people watched me and laughed. We weren't given a choice."

"We?"

Breathing heavily, Santana turns away at Brittany's softly spoken question, using the few moments to right the chair behind her to try and gather her thoughts. "It doesn't matter. Not every hybrid became so by choice, Brittany. There _are_ hybrids out there that did choose to become what they are but for most us, we weren't given a choice."

"But why would those others do that? Don't they see what the wolves are doing to us? How could they join in that?"

"Some would rather survive and live in whatever way they can then remain who they are and die because of it. The rest of us had our free will stripped away and believe me when I tell you, we fought every fucking second."

Frowning, Brittany feels her heart breaking for what Santana and some of the other hybrids must have gone through, but even feeling that, she just can't accept the fact that Santana is here, seemingly away from being under the control of the dark wolves. Not only that, but that she has a pack that is loyal to Santana and is not rushing to rip Brittany's throat open. "I don't understand. Hybrids are the most feared, next to the dark coven and…and…"

"I know."

"How are you here? There's no way they would just let you go."

"They didn't."

"Then how…"

A harsh gust of wind rattles the windows, the front door creaking before flying open, rain slashing onto the floor as they both run over to the door. Slamming it shut, Santana slides the wooden latch down into place, cursing her carelessness in not doing it when she returned from the woods earlier. Leaning back against the door, Santana looks over to where Brittany is standing just a couple of feet away, the front of her clothes damp from the rain. Her blue eyes are wide and Santana senses the concern in them right away and despite the discussion that just happened, Santana seeks to reassure Brittany. "We're fine here, I promise. I reinforced your barrier earlier while I was out, not that it needed much. I just forgot to latch the door when I came back, that's all. Quinn's been on me for weeks to fix the door so that wouldn't happen. It seems as if she was right."

"She might have been right about a few things, Santana."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe I should just leave. If what you say is true, then the last thing you need is for me to be here. What if the ones that were hunting me come back here?"

"They won't."

"You can't know that."

Walking past Brittany, Santana heads back to the table, picking the mug up off the floor and gathering the rest of the dishes before dropping them into one of the water buckets next to the fireplace. Taking a seat at the table once more, Santana waits for Brittany to join her there before speaking again. "I can know that. There is a cloaking spell in place around my land. It protects my cabin as well as the cabins where Quinn and the others stay. To anyone looking, this would just look like an abandoned field."

"But I saw your cabin. When I came through the forest, I saw your cabin. How is that possible?"

"I don't know. Maybe because you're high council but I really don't know. All I know is that the cloaking spell holds, especially for dark wolves and the like."

Brittany notices that Santana's shoulders are slumped as she speaks and she feels guilty for forcing Santana to admit the truth about being a hybrid. She still thinks it's something she should know but the way she brought it out of Santana makes Brittany feel bad. Running her fingers through her hair, Brittany leans forward and rests her elbows against the table, meeting Santana's weary gaze. "It seems as if my questions only created more questions and more headaches for you, Santana. I'm sorry for what I said before and if you give me just a few minutes, I'll gather my things and leave."

"You don't have to leave."

"I probably shouldn't stay."

Sighing lightly at the regret she hears in Brittany's voice, Santana relaxes her posture, scrubbing her hands over her face before looking at Brittany again. "No, it's fine. First of all, I couldn't in good conscience send you out into a storm like this and second of all, it's my burden to bear. Not yours. I'm sorry I reacted the way that I did."

"No, what happened to you was horrible. Knowing that this is being done, that it was done to you…how could you not have the reaction you had to my question? I'm sorry I spoke to you the way I did about it but I'm glad that you told me. What happens now?"

Looking at Brittany for a long moment, Santana reaches up and pulls the band from her ponytail, scratching her fingers tiredly along her scalp for minute before standing up. "Now, we go to sleep. I don't know about you but I'm exhausted."

Standing slowly, Brittany pushes her chair against the table, picking up her heavy shirt as she faces Santana. "I think we still have things we need to talk about it."

"You're right. We do. But they can keep until tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." Turning around, Brittany looks at the bed against the wall and then back at Santana before looking around the cabin to see where she might be sleeping.

At the gesture, Santana gives Brittany a small smile, inclining her head towards the bed. "You can have the bed."

"Where will you sleep?"

Pointing up to the loft behind her, Santana turns to go but is stopped by Brittany's gentle grasp on her elbow. "I can't let you do that. I feel bad kicking you out of your own bed for the second night in a row."

Looking down to where Brittany's fingers are wrapped around her arm, Santana feels the same tingle she felt when Brittany brushed by her earlier and controls the urge to pull her arm away. "It's fine. The loft is pretty comfortable, I promise."

"Are you sure?"

Santana pats Brittany's hand, forcibly pushing away the sensation of soft skin beneath her fingers, and nods her head. "Yeah, I'm sure. Get some sleep and we'll talk more tomorrow."

Brittany isn't sure why she holds onto Santana's arm for a moment longer but she does. She can feel the subtle shifting of muscle as Santana politely tries to move her arm and the warmth of her skin through her shirt makes Brittany's fingers feel like they are tingling. Another shift slightly pulls Santana's shirt and Brittany catches a glimpse of the edge of the scar and finally releases Santana's arm, looking down guiltily before backing up towards the bed. "Okay, Santana. Goodnight, and thank you again for last night and for today."

With another small smile, Santana turns around and climbs the ladder to the loft, disappearing into the darkness at the top. Within a few seconds the only lantern still lit is the one by the bed, the fireplace remaining at full blaze to chase the heat from the open room.

Tossing her other shirt onto the foot of the bed, Brittany climbs under the covers, smiling as the lantern next to her slow dims into darkness. Settling on her side to face the fire, Brittany can feel that Santana is watching her from her position in the loft. As the rain continues to splatter against the cabin, the sound slowly eases Brittany towards sleep and she relaxes against the soft mattress. Habit has her saying a small protection spell and as an afterthought, she includes Santana. Slowly drifting off into sleep, Brittany realizes that she doesn't feel threatened with Santana there and watching, despite what she learned earlier. As her eyes finally close, Brittany realizes that if she's being truthful, she's not quite sure what she's feeling where Santana is concerned.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** The Dead of Night  
><strong>Author:<strong> crammit  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Glee  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Brittany/Santana  
><strong>Timeline:<strong> AU  
><strong>Summary: <strong>For hundreds of years, wolves and witches have existed in peaceful coexistence until a terrible threat seeks to tear that alliance apart. With witches on the brink of extinction, Brittany finds herself at the mercy of a beautiful stranger who isn't exactly what she seems. With no other choice but to put her trust and her life in this woman's hands, will Brittany find the key to stopping the violence wiping out her people or will she instead experience the ultimate betrayal? - Rated M for sex, language, and violence

**A/N:** Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done.

**A/N: **A couple of people have asked about the time period for this story. All I can say is that it's taking place in the fantasy past. LOL I don't have an exact time period but it's not in the past few hundred years. (I'm definitely keeping it vague because it's easier to write it that way. :-D)

**A/N**: Big thanks again to **Uvaack** for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)

**A/N**: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated and thank you all so much who have reviewed already or who have sent me tweets and messages letting me know you're enjoying the story. :-)

* * *

><p>The sound of laughter ushers Brittany into wakefulness, the murmuring of voices outside the cabin prompting her to sit up from the bed and swing her legs over the side. Looking up towards the loft she notices that Santana is no longer there and that observation is confirmed when she sees Santana's dark hair pass by the front window. Brittany takes a moment to straighten up the covers on the bed before wandering over to the water basin in the back of the cabin, choosing a more usual method to freshen up, as she listens to the ebb and flow of conversation outside. Passing by the table, Brittany sees an apple on a plate along with bread and a small bowl of what looks like huntersberries jam. As she looks towards the door, Brittany smiles at Santana's thoughtfulness, taking a minute to spread the jam onto the bread.<p>

There's a small part of her that feels a small moment of discomfort at the ease with which Santana was able to wake up and prepare breakfast in the cabin without waking Brittany. In her months of travel, Brittany had trained her body to wake at the smallest sound, every noise a potential threat. As she takes a bite of the sweetened bread, she's not sure if she should feel relieved or worried that her body apparently felt comfortable enough to sleep through Santana's movements.

The voices sound closer and before she can go to the door, it opens wide revealing a tall man, his head turned as he laughs over his shoulder. "Malek will be disappointed he missed out on breakfast, Santana."

"Why do I get the feeling you might have forgotten to tell him? Brittany, good morning," Santana's eyes move from the man's to find Brittany's, the smile in them lingering as she notices the bread and jam in Brittany's hand.

At Brittany's name, the man stops and looks over at her, his body jostled forward as Quinn pushes past his shoulder. "What part of stopping in the doorway seemed like a good idea, Nicolas?"

Quinn meets Brittany's eyes briefly before walking over to the table and picking up the apple on Brittany's plate, gracefully sinking onto the seat behind her and taking a bite of the apple without another word.

Following Quinn through the door is another man, the light brown of his tunic seeming to reflect in his eyes which land on Brittany's before sliding away, his bashful smile creasing his cheeks in two perfect dimples. Shutting the door behind him, he walks over and takes the seat next to Quinn, thanking her as she plucks another apple from the bowl on the table to hand to him.

The man called Nicolas continues to watch Brittany, his curious smile hidden beneath at least a week's worth of scruff. Leaning back against the door, he crosses his arms across his chest, the outline of his muscles apparent as the material of his shirt pulls tight at the motion. Glancing over at Santana, he seems to wait for her to say something, his eyes bright with amusement as he looks back at Brittany. "So, you must be Brittany?"

"You really are a scholar, aren't you?" Quinn's annoyed voice finally prompts Santana into action and she heads over to where Brittany is standing.

"Nicolas, this is Brittany. Brittany, this is Nicolas and Connell."

"And Quinn."

Santana meets Quinn's smirk with an eye roll, stepping back as Brittany walks over to shake Nicolas' hand in greeting before doing the same to Connell, glaring at Quinn until she answers Brittany's _good morning, Quinn_ with at least a cordial reply.

She's not sure why but there's a feeling that Santana has as she watches Brittany introduce herself to most of her pack. When they had arrived this morning, Santana was fully prepared to have breakfast with them before sending them on their way, this situation with Brittany being there tenuous at best. She could have easily stopped Nicolas from heading inside her cabin but she didn't. There's a flutter in her chest as Brittany sits down at the table, finishing her breakfast as Connell makes polite conversation with her. Having Brittany in the presence of her pack seems like an important shift for both of them and after their talk last night, Santana feels a small measure of relief over it.

"Quinn didn't say that Brittany was that pretty."

Looking up at Nicolas's grin, Santana feels Quinn's eyes fixed in her direction, no doubt hearing Nicolas' observation. Trying to keep the irritation from her voice, Santana shrugs her shoulders, absently tugging on the laces at the bottom of her sleeves. "Does it matter?"

"Only to those of us with working eyes."

The quick tug of jealousy startles Santana and she turns away from him, reaching up to rub at the back of her neck as she walks over to pour herself a glass of water.

Shaking her head when Santana offers her some as well, Brittany looks back across the table, mostly succeeding in ignoring Quinn in favor of speaking with Connell. Smiling at him, she finds his genuine niceness a welcome contrast to the suspicion she can still feel coming from the direction of the woman to her right. "Santana told me last night that you were the one that recovered my pelt from the forest. Thank you for that."

Pushing his light blond hair out of his eyes, Connell blushes at Brittany's smile, wiping a hand across his mouth self-consciously before responding. "Sure. I'm just sorry it was torn up so badly. It looked like a fine pelt though. Bear?"

"Black bear, yes."

"Those aren't so easy to come by recently. Where did you manage to get one?"

At Quinn's question, Brittany turns in her chair, pushing her plate away as she rests her hands on top of the table. "A trader outside of Rivers Run."

"Did he say where he was from?"

"I think so. It was…w-something? Willfeld or Winchester or…"

"Winterhaven?"

Connell's wistful tone draw's Brittany's attention as the name rings a bell. "Yes, I think that was it. Winterhaven sounds right."

She doesn't miss the look that passes between Quinn and Connell, and it almost feels like she's intruding on a private moment, so she looks away and catches Santana watching her over the rim of her glass. Holding her gaze, Brittany pointedly ignores the subtle brush of Quinn's hand over Connell's, the contact held for a moment before Quinn reaches for his apple core, tossing hers along with his into an open bin behind the table.

Nicolas' heavy footfalls break the moment as he comes over to stand next to Connell, placing his palms on the table as he leans toward Brittany, cutting off the look between her and Santana. Politely, Brittany looks at him, his wavy hair falling slightly over his ear as he tilts his head with a grin. "You know, Brittany, your eyes are almost as pretty as mine."

She can hear Quinn scoff next her and for the first time she finds herself wanting to join in with her, recognizing Nicolas' heavy handed attempt at flirting. "I…thank you?"

Straightening quickly, he reaches back to rub a hand across his lower back, eyeing Santana as she heads back around the table towards the dresser in the back. Suddenly a howl sounds outside the cabin, the scrape of chairs following shortly as Connell and Quinn stand up and say a quick goodbye to Brittany, and head towards the front door. Nicolas reaches the door first and pulls it open for them, executing a half bow in Brittany's direction before walking outside. Standing up as well, Brittany walks over to where Santana is digging through one of the drawers, tentatively touching her shoulder to get her attention as another howl follows the first one. "What's going on?"

Santana's dark hair is shielding her face and she's grateful for it as she recognizes the sound of Malek's second howl. Glancing toward the side window quickly, she notices the angle of the shadows on the floor and closes her eyes, gritting her teeth as she hears Quinn walk back into the cabin. Rising, Santana pulls a soft red tunic from the drawer, shutting it before turning away from Brittany to address Quinn. "I'll be right there. Just give me a minute."

Quinn looks at Brittany, her hazel eyes measuring in their gaze, before dipping her head and stepping outside to give Santana a moment. Handing Brittany the tunic, Santana avoids her eyes as she goes to the table to push the chairs back into the place. "I thought maybe you'd like to change your shirt since you've probably been in that one for a few days. I know your cleaning spell works well enough but I thought you might be wanting a fresh shirt."

Running her hands over the soft material, Brittany catches a sense of Santana's essence in the fabric, a residual effect from taking so much energy yesterday. With Santana's back still to her, Brittany looks outside, making sure the others aren't looking at her before quickly bringing the shirt to her nose, barely able to drop her arm as Santana turns around.

Lightly holding onto Santana's forearm as she goes to walk by her, Brittany ignores the looks she can now feel from the group gathered outside waiting for Santana. "Santana, what's going on? Where are you going?"

Santana can feel her cheeks heating up under Brittany's scrutiny though she knows Brittany can't understand Santana's hesitancy to tell her. On a small sigh, Santana gently removes her arm from Brittany's grasp, turning to face her so that Santana's back is toward the front door. "It's time for us to do a patrol and perform a perimeter check."

"Oh. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No!" At Brittany's raised eyebrows, Santana clears her throat awkwardly and continues in a more mild tone. "I mean, no thank you, Brittany. These patrols, we do them…we run them as…it's easier if…"

"You do them as a pack. As wolves."

Brittany can sense Santana's discomfort and also her gratitude when she answers for her, but there is something in Santana's reluctance to say the words out loud to Brittany that has her wanting to ask a dozen more questions. Unfortunately, she doesn't get the time to ask as Quinn steps back inside the cabin and walks to Santana's side.

"We really need to go."

"Santana, come on. Malek is going to be intolerable at dinner if we don't get out there now." Nicolas' voice appears at the doorway, the rough sound of his hand scratching at the side of his beard the only other sound in the room. Both Quinn and Santana turn around to look at him, his hand dropping to his side as he slowly takes a step back. "Fine. But I'm not going to be the one sitting next to him at dinner."

As they turn back around, Santana rests her hand on Quinn's shoulder, Brittany all but forgotten as they exchange a look that has Quinn's face softening just a bit. Pushing her short hair out of her face, Quinn finishes the movement by touching Santana's arm once before stepping away and breaking the contact to head back outside. "Just come outside soon, okay? Nicolas does have the right idea. The sooner we finish this up, the better."

Waiting until Quinn is out of earshot, Brittany can't help but voice one of her worries. "Do you think it's safe to be out there so soon after I was attacked? I know you said that your cloaking spell hasn't been compromised and the barrier is intact but do you think you risk going into those woods?"

Despite the concern from Brittany, Santana feels a bit of pride straighten her shoulders and she answers Brittany without hesitation. "We'll be fine. Everything has been extended and enforced and I can't allow your disruption in our lives to change how things are done around here. These patrols are necessary and we are strong enough to handle them, even with the trouble you brought with you."

"No, you're right. I didn't mean to imply otherwise." As Brittany turns around to place the tunic on the back of the chair, Santana drops her head back and looks at the ceiling, annoyance at herself for slapping Brittany back, causing her to take a step closer until Brittany looks at her again.

"I appreciate your concern, Brittany. Honestly I do. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful for it, it's just…I haven't been a pack leader very long and this routine, making us adhere to this routine, it helps. It helps with our protection, of course, but it also makes it easier for me to lead them."

Santana isn't sure where her admission came from and she covers the blush she feels on her cheeks by turning away under the pretense of fixing the shirt hanging over the chair, unable to explain the sudden feeling of shame over her words.

It's Brittany's touch on her hand that brings out of her self-reproach, looking up to find Brittany's blue eyes calm and understanding as they look at her before looking outside over Santana's shoulder. "Will you be gone long?"

Santana acknowledges Brittany's chance to move on with a smile, stepping to the side and gesturing for Brittany to walk ahead of her. As they cross the threshold of the front door, Santana stops and looks towards the sky for a moment before answering Brittany, her words coming a little easier now. "There's a freeze coming later this afternoon so we'll try and be done well before then. We should only be gone a few hours at best. While we're gone, you're welcome to anything in the cabin. Will you be okay by yourself for a few hours?"

"Sure. Would you like me to prepare dinner for tonight while you're out?"

Connell answers Brittany's question, smiling widely as he points at Quinn. "Dinner is at Quinn's tonight. It's going to be great. Mashed sallow root, snap peas, seasoned rowol deer, beet soup, honey mead. My stomach is growling just thinking about it."

"You just ate. How are you even still hungry?" Nicolas' incredulous voice pulls a sheepish grin from Connell, his helpless shrug causing Brittany to smile.

"You're welcome to join us if you'd like, of course." There's a sincerity in Quinn's tone that's almost negated by the smug look on her face at being the one to offer her home to Brittany but Brittany accepts the offer gracefully, admitting to herself that the meal does sound pretty good.

"Could I bring dessert at least, Quinn?"

"Ooh, what kind of dessert?"

"You're ridiculous, Connell. Let's go." Lightly gripping the back of Connell's neck, Nicolas leads him away from the cabin and in the direction of the woods, laughing as Connell shoves at his side. As the shoving turns into a playful wrestling match, Quinn heads off after them at a slower pace, turning around to face Brittany. "Sure. Just don't bring anything with walnuts. Connell is allergic to them."

Before Brittany can respond, Quinn, Connell, and Nicolas shift, needing only a couple of seconds to change into wolf form. The change is so quick that Brittany can't help the gasp that follows, her instinct having her retreat a few steps, the magic at her fingertips without thought.

"Brittany?"

With her heart racing, Brittany turns to look at Santana, the magic pulsing at her fingertips as Quinn paces closer to them, a warning growl in her throat. Holding her palm out to Quinn, Santana slowly moves around until she's in the Brittany's line of sight, her voice deliberately calm as she watches the blue of Brittany's magic slowly wind its way across her forearms. "Easy, Brittany. It's okay. You're okay."

She can hear the breath pushing from Brittany's lungs and the growl behind her is getting deeper, the playful yips and yelps from Connell replaced by his and Nicolas' breathing behind Quinn, their wrestling match forgotten in the tension of the moment. Realizing why Brittany is probably so afraid, Santana risks turning away from her for one second, meeting the eyes of her pack in turn before quietly urging them to back off. Nicolas and Connell are quick to follow with Quinn holding her growl a moment longer, her hazel eyes intense as they watch Brittany's hands before meeting Santana's eyes, reluctantly turning around to head towards the others.

"You've never seen the change before, have you?"

Brittany wants to relax her hands, some part of her recognizing that she's not actually in any danger, but the deep-seated fear, and instinct for survival that ensured she was still around to see another day, has a solid grip on her heart and her mind. Licking her lips, she at least drops her hands to her side, the blue current reaching as far as her biceps now as a small burst of anxiety breaks through. "Never. The dark ones that hunted us were always already in wolf form when they attacked."

"We're not going to hurt you. I promise you, you're safe. Look at me."

Tearing her attention away from the pack pacing behind Santana, Brittany meets Santana's brown eyes, seeking and finding the same reassurance she can hear in Santana's voice. Sucking in a deep breath, Brittany keeps her focus on Santana, exhaling harshly as the magic continues to build, the muscles in her arms warming in anticipation of battle. Taking a chance, Santana steps closer to Brittany, ignoring Quinn's anxious whine behind her. Santana holds her hands towards Brittany, palms up, as she continues to speak to her. "Brittany, you can trust me. Give me your hands."

"No…no, you shouldn't touch me. It's too dangerous right now. I'm sorry, I'm trying but…"

"I won't hurt you. It's okay."

Swallowing hard, Brittany shakily nods her head, fear pulling at her reason even as she slides her palms against Santana's hands. Santana's strength is apparent as her fingers slide up a little further and hold onto Brittany's wrists, their eyes locked as Santana takes deep breaths, her body trembling as Brittany's magic flows into her. The tendrils of magic around Brittany's arms start to retreat, wisps of blue floating across Santana's arms like fog. Without realizing it, they both step closer to each other, Santana's hands glowing a muted purple as her own power starts to build, the red of it slipping over Brittany's wrists. Brittany can feel her heart racing and everything falls away except for Santana's face, her mouth parted slightly as she breathes out, Brittany's exhalations just as stuttered as Santana's. A few more seconds pass before Santana suddenly steps back, breaking the connection with a small sigh, the sound behind it pulling at something deep inside Brittany. Before she can question it, Santana is striding quickly into the cabin, emerging a moment later with two full glasses of water, handing one to Brittany without a word.

As Brittany finishes her water, she closes her eyes and realizes that while she can still feel the hum of power beneath her skin, the desperate buildup of magic is gone. She can't quite place her finger on what has replaced it but it feels warm in her veins. Dragging her tongue across the back of her teeth, there is a hint of another taste there other than the water and as she looks over and witnesses Santana doing the same, she realizes that what she's tasting is their shared magic.

A large black wolf appears at the edge of the forest, a scar running from top of its forehead down across its left eye before disappearing under its muzzle. Brittany watches as Connell trots off to greet the black wolf, Nicolas still standing the middle ground as Quinn remains close to Santana's side. Taking the cup from Brittany, Santana puts them down at a small table leaning against the front of the cabin, exhaling loudly before approaching Brittany once more.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm better now. Thank you for that, Santana. I'm sorry…I didn't mean to react that strongly."

"I understand why you did now and I wish I would have thought to give you warning or something."

Shaking her head, Brittany waves off Santana's statement, shrugging her shoulders as she makes herself walk closer to where Quinn is pacing, testing herself as Quinn stops and stares at her. "You couldn't have known and I don't know that I would have thought to tell you, honestly."

Santana looks over and meets Malek's gaze, feeling the pull towards them as Nicolas turns away from the cabin and joins Connell in greeting Malek, leaving only Quinn next to Santana. She knows she has to go and while she's relatively sure that Brittany is okay and will be okay while they are gone, there's a strong part of her that is doesn't want to shift in front of Brittany despite the annoyance she can sense coming from Quinn as she starts to pace again.

It's not just that she doesn't want to startle Brittany again, though she thinks that she's probably slightly better prepared for it now. As Santana reaches up to absently brush her fingers against her shoulder, feeling the ridge of the scar that rests under her shirt, she knows that despite the months that she's spent being a hybrid, she's yet to completely acknowledge or embrace the wolf side that exists inside her now. It's a sore point among her pack, especially with Quinn who has been a wolf since birth, but even knowing that her next words will no doubt have future repercussions, she pulls the mantel of alpha tighter around her consciousness and looks over at Quinn. "Go on ahead, Quinn. I'll be there momentarily."

Quinn doesn't move and continues to look at Brittany, Brittany looking away only after Santana squares her body to Quinn more fully, her voice pitched a little lower as she repeats her request. Finally looking away, Quinn turns and runs to the rest of the pack, Malek lowering his head in greeting as he brushes against Quinn's body.

"I have to go."

Stepping forward until she's side by side with Santana, both of them watch the pack as Connell playfully bites Nicolas' hind leg, taking off into the woods as Nicolas chases him. "I'm okay now, I promise. You should go and do your patrol before it gets to be too late. But, before you go, I just had one question."

"What is it?"

"I know you are what you are, a hybrid, but how it is that they can change in the middle of the day? How are they not bound by night to their wolf forms like the rest?"

Santana had been bracing herself for a hard question and she finds her shoulders relaxing as she realizes this is one aspect of her hybrid form that she doesn't mind talking about. "After they came to join me, I performed a bonding spell and made them take the Oath of Echoes on the night of a full moon. The oath gives them the power to change at will, the change, in essence, an echo of their change at night. Their strength is still greatest at nightfall, and they are at their strongest on the night of a full moon, but this allows them the freedom during the day to be what they want, when they want. The bonding spell also bound that magic to me so that no other witch or warlock could take it away from them."

Brittany glances at Santana's face and sees the pride there and she hears it in her voice. Even only knowing Santana for these past couple of days, Brittany has a sense that this was something that Santana gave them as a gift, a granting of free will following a time where hers was taken from her. Pushing away the sudden inexplicable urge to touch Santana's hand that's resting so close to hers, Brittany settles for brushing her pinky against Santana's before stepping away. "I think what you did for them was very kind, Santana. It was a gift."

Uncomfortable at the praise, Santana clears her throat and briefly meets Brittany's eyes. "Yeah, well, it was more of a selfish gesture really. Makes going on these patrols a lot easier when they can join me like this."

Giving Santana her deflection, Brittany moves toward the cabin door and leans against the frame, jerking her chin in the direction of the forest where only Quinn remains as she waits for Santana. "You better head out there before Quinn poisons my food later tonight for keeping you this long."

Laughing a little at that, Santana nods her head and starts to walk across the field. "Okay, I'm going. We'll see you a little later."

With a wave, Brittany heads inside and shuts the door, not even questioning her desire to head to the front window to continue watching Santana. Resting her elbow on the side of the frame, Brittany watches through the glass as Santana heads towards the forest, Quinn trotting forward to walk at her side. The rest of the pack emerges from the trees, greeting Santana as she raises her hand, each of them running their muzzles against her palm before falling into staggered formation behind her. Santana's hand drops down to Quinn, stroking through the golden markings that run through her gray fur and Brittany knows that it's Santana's way of apologizing. As she continues to watch Santana walk with her pack, Brittany is suddenly struck with how beautiful Santana looks with her pack around her. There's a grace in her movements and as a gust of wind blows Santana's dark hair over her shoulder, Brittany's breath fogs up the glass briefly on an exhale as Santana turns to find Brittany's eyes through the window.

Santana felt Brittany's eyes on her while she walked and as she approached the edge of the woods, she gave in to temptation and met Brittany's gaze, the intense blue of them apparent even through the distance across the field. As she lets her pack wander ahead of her, Santana keeps looking at Brittany, allowing herself a private moment as she releases the reins on her power and lets it trickle into her veins, enjoying the essence that she knows is leftover from Brittany's magic. She feels powerful, in a different way, like she's taking Brittany with her on this patrol, and though the thought of why she's even thinking of it that way causes her heart rate to pick up, Santana welcomes the sense of comfort it brings. Holding her gaze for a moment more, Santana turns and heads deeper into the woods, allowing the change to come once she knows she's cleared Brittany's sight.

At the window, Brittany holds her breath, the magic inside of her tingling a moment before a long howl pierces the air, with others soon joining it in chorus. As the sound fades away, Brittany turns away from the window and braces her back against the wall, her hand reaching up to press against her chest. Looking at the red tunic draped over the chair, Brittany gets a feeling that she doesn't quite know how to explain. Despite the panic that seized her when Santana's pack changed earlier, thinking of them now, out there protecting Santana's land and, by extension protecting Brittany, gives Brittany an odd sense of belonging. With a smile, she steps forward to look around Santana's kitchen area, wondering what kind of dessert to bring to dinner that night.

* * *

><p>The smell of apple pie greets Santana a few hours later as she opens the door to her cabin but it's the sight of Brittany that stops her in her tracks. Leaning over by the open window to check on one of the two pies resting on a cooling rack, the red tunic that Brittany had changed into is stretched tight across her backside and Santana feels her hand slip against the door as she clumsily tries to close it. Brittany had braided the sides of her hair into a single braid that fell across the top of her back where it rested against the rest of her blonde hair. With her body still warm from the patrol run, Santana slowly leans back against the front door as she closes it, hardly noticing as her shirt plasters itself to the sweat on her back. Licking her dry lips, Santana eyes the remnants of the ingredients Brittany used to make the two apple pies, their delicious smell bringing a smile to her face. "Those smell amazing."<p>

Grinning at Santana over her shoulder, Brittany response dies in her throat at the way Santana looks, the lantern by the door casting her features in a golden glow and picking up the hint of sweat around her hairline and down across her neck. Straightening up slowly, Brittany just stands there for a moment, the cloth in her hands forgotten as Santana steps away from the door and moves closer to the cooling pies.

"Apple, right? Apple and…wait, don't tell me…you used some of the leftover huntersberries jam, too. Did I guess right? Brittany?"

At her name, Brittany blinks rapidly, realizing that she'd been standing there staring at Santana's mouth while she was speaking. Turning away under the pretense of shifting the pies again on the rack, Brittany rolls her eyes before closing them. Fixing a smile on her face, Brittany takes a deep breath and turns around, pointing to the shelf behind where Santana was standing. "You guessed right, though I only used a little for some extra flavor. I hope that was okay? You had a few extra jars back there."

"Of course. Either way, it was going to get eaten and I'd much prefer to have it in a pie than on boring bread." Moving closer to smell the pies, Santana tries to control the shiver that passes through her as Brittany doesn't move quickly enough, her breasts brushing against Santana's arm before they both jump back from the contact.

Avoiding Santana's eyes, Brittany heads over to the table, gathering the bowls and utensils she used for the pie, and bringing them over to the water bucket by the window, her voice surprising herself in its calm tone even as her heart continued to race under her shirt. "What time are we heading to Quinn's for dinner? The pies only need a little bit longer to cool though if we have to leave soon, I could always enchant them to finish."

Swiping her hand over her face while Brittany's attention is diverted, Santana heads towards the back of the cabin to the dresser, opening one of the drawers and pulling out a simple black shirt, waving her hand over the water in the basin to heat it. "That might be a good idea. I just need to wash up and change real quick and it will only take us a few minutes to walk to Quinn's cabin."

"She's close by?"

"They all are. There are three other cabins set behind this one."

Turning to face Santana, Brittany can't keep the surprised curiosity out of her voice as she walks to look out of the back window. "Really? I don't see anything back there but more woods."

Joining Brittany at the window, Santana murmurs a few words under her breath, reaching up to brush her hand across Brittany's eyes before smiling at her. "Go ahead and look again."

Looking back out the window, Brittany's breath catches in her throat and she responds to Santana's amused laugh with one of her own. Blocking her vision of the woods now are three cabins similar in size to Santana's, the windows pale yellow from the lanterns no doubt hanging inside. Thin trails of wispy smoke stream out of one of the cabins and even from this distance, Brittany can make out movement behind the windows and figures that cabin must be Quinn's. "You removed the cloaking spell?"

"Only for your eyes. If anyone else were to stumble their way through these woods, they would see what you saw…just the field and more trees."

Smiling a little harder, Brittany side eyes her as she continues to look out of the window. "Any other hidden structures out there? Maybe you have some mystical creatures in a stable I can't see."

Laughing, Santana heads back toward the water basin and reaches onto one of the shelves by the corner, pulling down a small green bar of herbs compressed into a waxy ball, its aroma pleasing even from across the room. "There are only the cabins back there."

"Oh."

Looking at Brittany as she heads back across the cabin, Santana can't help but tease her, hoping for another smile. "Though, Nicolas thought he saw a unicorn once."

Understanding what Santana was trying to do, Brittany plays along as she starts to wash the dishes and utensils in the water bucket, looking around until she finds a similar waxy bar, this one red in color and smelling a little sweeter than the one that Santana has. "Did he? They say only innocents can see them and I get the feeling Nicolas might have been lying to you."

Grinning at Santana's bark of laughter, Brittany continues to clean the dishes, the splashing of water behind her causing her to look up, catching a glimpse of Santana's reflection in the window in front of where Brittany is standing. Her hands keep moving, somehow managing to continue cleaning but her eyes are riveted on the glass, the glimpse of Santana's naked back bringing Brittany's heart rate up for the second time that night. Pretending to concentrate on the dishes, Brittany makes more noise than usual, hoping Santana will believe she is fully engaged in cleaning up and not currently enthralled by the subtle play of muscles along Santana's back, her arms moving with practiced efficiency as she washes up. Santana's dark hair was twisted into a messy bun and as she moves more and more strands start to fall, curls clinging to the damp skin of Santana's shoulders.

Chancing a glance behind her, Brittany drops a plate into the water, the site of only the empty space of the cabin greeting her. Turning around quickly, Brittany's cheeks flush as she realizes that Santana must have cast another small cloaking spell, one that allowed her to wash in private while Brittany finished cleaning. Facing forward quickly, Brittany feels guilty as she continues to look at the window, part of her wanting to warn Santana that her cloaking spell didn't extend to reflections but another hidden part of her bit her bottom lip, trapping the polite words that she should say behind her teeth. Brittany reaches the final item to clean, a single plate that is no doubt the cleanest it's ever been in its life as Brittany mindlessly circles her wet hand around the surface of the plate.

Guilt finally gets the better of her and Brittany looks down at her hands, hoping Santana will believe the flush of her cheeks is caused by the fire still blazing near her as she hears Santana's footsteps approach her. "I think that plate is clean enough, no?"

With a sheepish smile, Brittany pulls the plate out of the water and rests it on top of the table with the others, glancing over Santana's all black outfit as she sits at the table to brush her hair. Gold from the ivory handle flickers every time Santana moves her hand and Brittany is drawn to it as she dries her hands on a clean cloth. "That's beautiful, Santana. Where did you get it?"

"I've had this for a very long time. It belonged to my family."

Tensing a little at Santana's sentence and remembering the absolute way that Santana shut down any questions about her family, Brittany doesn't press her any further though her mouth tips up in a smile at Santana's small foray into opening up to her. Stepping closer to Santana, she reaches forward toward the brush, holding her hand out. "Would you like me to brush your hair? I can braid it if you'd like."

Santana doesn't understand why this simple request and offer makes her feel like Brittany just offered to disrobe in front of her but she has to grip the handle of the brush a little harder before looking over her shoulder, her face doing a commendable job of looking calm. "Sure, that would be nice. But I'd prefer a ponytail, if that's okay."

Humming her agreement, Brittany takes the brush from Santana's hand, both of them again ignoring the contact between them as Santana drops her hands to her lap. As Brittany starts to brush her hair, Santana relaxes against the back of the chair, closing her eyes and listening to the fire crackle in the fireplace and wind as it brushes through the trees outside the window. Even the slight chill in the air feels good as it breezes in from the open window, caressing Santana's warm cheeks as she selfishly enjoys Brittany's attention to her hair.

For her part, Brittany has to try to actively fight back making any noise as the dark silky strands pass through the brush, the damp ends releasing hints of the fragrance in the bar of herbs that Santana used when she cleaned up earlier. Testing herself, and maybe even Santana, Brittany brings her other hand up to help with brushing Santana's hair, gathering her hair softly before running the brush through it. Realizing that in another minute she's going to abandon the brush and just start using her hands, Brittany asks Santana for a band to hold her hair back, reaching down to take the one that Santana pulls from her pocket and handing her the brush to hold. Pulling Santana's hair into a ponytail, Brittany efficiently wraps the band around it, stepping around Santana to look at her handy work. "All done."

Patting her hands around her hair, Santana smiles at Brittany as she stands up, heading over to put the brush back on the dresser. "And a fine ponytail it is. Do you need to do anything else before we go to dinner?"

"No, I'm all set. Let me just grab the pies and we can leave."

Waiting by the door, Santana once again watches Brittany as she grabs cloth to cover the pies, cocking her head slightly as she appreciates the look of Brittany in her red tunic. Waving her hand to bank the fire, Santana turns down all lanterns but one, opening the door as Brittany gets closer. With two pies in her hands, Brittany is a little awkward trying to walk by Santana in the doorway so she goes to move, laughing as Brittany moves in the same direction. They try to move again and laugh even harder as they find themselves occupying the same space. With a grin, Santana steps back and mimics Nicolas from earlier, bowing before guiding Brittany through door, following just behind her. Shutting the door, Santana holds her hand against the wood and releases a small amount of magic, listening for the satisfying thunk of the wood latch falling into place.

"Why do you worry about locking the door when there's nobody that can even see this place?"

"I…you know, I don't know. I guess old habits never really go away."

Heading around the side of the cabin, Brittany takes a deep breath of the cooler air, listening to the sound of their boots moving through the low grass as they head towards Quinn's cabin. As they get closer, the sound of raucous laughter reaches their ears and Santana shakes her head and smiles, slowing her steps as she looks over at Brittany. "I just want to warn you. They can be a little…much at mealtime. Especially if Quinn brewed some of her honey mead, and from the sounds of it, they've already sampled a good portion of it."

Looking over at the cabin, more laughter spilling from one of the open windows, Brittany doesn't feel the same nervousness she felt when they all walked into Santana's cabin that morning. With the exception of Quinn who Brittany isn't sure she'll ever really win over, Nicolas and Connell seem to be okay with her and as she'd yet to meet Malek, she optimistically chose to put him the same category as Nicolas and Connell. If Brittany's being honest, she knows that most of the reason why she feels at ease tonight has to do with the woman walking next to her. As she's spent more time with her, there is something that is drawing Brittany closer to her, a pull that she feels whenever she's around Santana. She's still reeling a little from the feel of Santana's magic combining with hers earlier and she welcomes the little rush of excitement that memory brings. Deciding to just relax and be in the moment with Santana and her pack, Brittany picks up the pace a little bit. Returning Santana's smile, Brittany's blue eyes seem lighter in the moonlight as she leans a little closer to her. "Well, maybe we should go catch up to them."

* * *

><p>"So Connell goes, but I thought all people from Fair Oaks have red beards?"<p>

The dinner table rattles as Nicolas slaps his hand down, raucous laughter erupting around the table as Connell good-naturedly sends a handful of snap peas in Nicolas' direction. Brittany feels herself caught up in their laughter, not quite understanding the joke but laughing nonetheless at the infectious sound of Santana and the others teasing each other. As Connell tries to deflect the attention on him by launching into a story that Brittany assumes is designed to embarrass Nicolas, Brittany takes a moment to simply watch the people around the table.

Her optimistic hope that Malek would give her a warm reception is still up in the air. While he greeted her politely enough, he mostly stayed quiet through dinner, choosing instead to observe rather than participate in the conversation, though his laughter did join the others at Nicolas' last story. Picking up her mug, Brittany takes a sip of Quinn's decidedly delicious honey mead and watches Malek turn to speak to Santana who is sitting across from her. The scar that she observed earlier when he was in wolf form is paler against his skin now but is no less apparent, running across his eye before ending just below the corner of his mouth. His eyes are dark, almost black, and they match his dark hair and Brittany recognizes the _brykmas_ he has it weaved into, the warrior's braid identifying him as one of the Hawkeye tribe of the southern border, even if his darker complexion hadn't already given him away. His large hands remain folded together on the table as he answers whatever question Santana just asked him and Brittany can see other smaller scars that mark his skin, one or two of them continuing up across his muscled forearms before disappearing under the rolled up sleeves of his dark blue shirt.

Even if she didn't know what the _brykmas_ was, Brittany would recognize the warrior in the man across from her, his tribe one of the most feared since this war started. The Hawkeye wolves were known for being the most vicious upon taking the Dark Oath and Brittany finds her curiosity about how he ended up in Santana's pack only barely outweighed by the fear of what Malek is capable of doing. Feeling her stare, Malek turns his head and meets Brittany's eyes, his gaze steady as he sits through her appraisal. Brittany can see Santana turn to look at Brittany and remembering Santana's calming words about her pack earlier that day, Brittany forces herself to relax, giving Malek a smile before looking back down at her plate to continue eating.

Her thoughts are interrupted by Connell leaning back in his chair and burping loudly, all eyes turning to him as he rubs his belly. Reaching over, Quinn pinches his side, absorbing the good natured slap against her hand as he sits up straighter. "I know you were raised better than that, Connell."

"Sorry, Quinn. But dinner was really good and Brittany, your apple pie was delicious. I'm just trying to make room for more."

"Boy, I swear you have a bottomless pit instead of a stomach." Malek's observation makes everyone laugh and Brittany catches Santana smiling at her as she puts another forkful of apple pie in her mouth.

At Brittany's side, Nicolas bumps her lightly with his elbow, his grin fading slightly as Quinn and Santana watch him from across the table. "What? I was just going to say that Connell had a point. Brittany's pie is delicious."

"Nicolas, I swear to..."

Santana's chastising remark is stopped by the front door of Quinn's cabin banging open against the wall, a woman with long brown hair bursting inside before falling to one knee, bracing her hand on the floor as her breath races in and out.

"Rachel!"

Quinn rushes to Rachel's side, helping her stand up as she guides her onto one of the chairs, calling out for someone to get some water. Connell is at her side in seconds, his hand tightly gripped in Rachel's as Quinn kneels beside them, Rachel's other hand held in hers. Standing, Brittany backs away from the table as Malek moves to the front door without hesitation, his body tight with tension as he looks out across the field. Nicolas appears at Rachel's side with a mug of water and Quinn urges her to take it, rising to face Santana as she approaches but keeping her hand resting on top of Rachel's shoulder.

"Rachel, what happened?" Santana kneels down to look at Rachel, looking her over for injury as Quinn stands behind Rachel's chair, gently touching Connell's hand as he reaches up to brush Rachel's hair over her shoulder. Quinn meets Malek's eyes and as Brittany watches, he nods once before taking off, already in wolf form before he's more than a few feet outside the cabin. As Santana gives Rachel a moment to finish her water, Quinn looks over her shoulder where Nicolas is pacing, gesturing towards the front door. "Go with Malek. Make sure everything is okay."

Touching Connell's shoulder as he passes, Nicolas barely gives Brittany another look as he shifts and takes off after Malek, Brittany quietly walking to go and close the front the door. Remaining away from the group gathered around Rachel, Brittany feels the tension in the room and sees it reflected in the tightness of Santana's jaw as Rachel finally looks at her.

"Santana, I'm so sorry. I thought I could get there quick enough but I took a spill crossing a river and twisted my knee. It only set me back a day and I thought I could make up some time but..."

"You're hurt? Let me see." Moving aside as Quinn kneels once more next to Rachel, Connell watches as Quinn runs her hands across Rachel's legs, stopping as Santana reaches out to cover her hand, stilling Quinn's nervous motion.

Light brown eyes find Quinn's as Rachel shakes her head, her voice a little softer as shifts slightly in her chair. "I'm okay, Quinn. I promise. It was just a little sprain, that's all."

"Which leg?"

"Santana, I said I'm fine, really."

"And I said which leg." Santana looks at Rachel for a moment, holding her gaze until Rachel points to her left leg, looking down at the floor as Quinn stands to pace the length of the dining table. Holding her hands against Rachel's leg, Santana closes her eyes, her hands turning a light red as she moves them over the injured area. A small whimper escapes Santana's lips and Brittany finds herself taking a small step forward, realizing that Santana is taking the pain from the injury into herself. Quinn realizes the same thing and swipes a mug of honey mead from the table on her next pass, downing the rest in one swallow before slamming it lightly onto the table.

"You _were_ hurt."

Opening her eyes, Santana shifts her weight to look over at Quinn, softening her gaze as she notices Quinn's clenched jaw. "She's fine now. Aren't you, Rachel?"

"It's better now, I promise. Thank you, Santana."

Standing up as Connell moves again to stand near Rachel, Santana leans back against the table, and curls her hands over the edge of the wood in a tight grip. "Tell us what happened."

"No."

"Quinn…"

"No. Not while she's here."

Noticing Brittany for the first time, Rachel looks over and despite the situation, sends her a warm smile and a small wave. "Hi, I'm Rachel."

Ignoring Quinn's eyeroll, Brittany moves a little closer, and returns Rachel's smile. "I'm Brittany."

Drawing Rachel's attention back to herself, Santana, repeats her question, pinning Quinn with a glare to warn her against another interruption. "What happened?"

Glancing over at Quinn in apology, Rachel sits up and looks at Santana, her hands gripped tightly in her lap as she gives Santana the details. "They were gone by the time I got there. I could smell the smoke a few miles away but I'd hoped…I don't know…I told myself it couldn't be what it was but when I got there, everything was burned to the ground. Santana, there was nothing left. Even the livestock had been killed."

"Where?" Brittany can't help but ask the question, something inside of her telling her that the answer will not be a good one.

Rachel looks at Santana first but then answers Brittany. "Willowcrest."

Sinking onto one of the empty chairs, Brittany feels her stomach drop as she recognizes the name as home to one of the more powerful covens. Brittany had never traveled there but she'd purchased spell books and herbs from their traders when they would pass through Stonebridge during the summer solstice. The power of the witches and warlocks in Willowcrest was well known, and if the town had been destroyed like Rachel claimed, then those there were either killed or taken. Or worse, they had joined with the dark wolves. Her heart twists at the thought and wearily, she rubs her hands over her face. "Another one. Another coven gone. It's never going to end, is it?"

The despair in Brittany's voice pulls at Santana but her obligation to her pack has to come first so she ruthlessly pushes down the urge to go to Brittany and comfort her, ignoring her own pang of grief over the loss of the Willowcrest coven. Looking back at Rachel, Santana takes the empty mug from her and puts it on the table. "Were you able to tell which pack had been there?"

Quinn stops her pacing and approaches Santana, her voice low even though in the silence of the cabin Brittany can clearly hear it. "Santana, no. This concerns us, not her. We shouldn't talk about this while she's here."

Rachel sits up at Quinn's words, suddenly realizing that Brittany isn't a recent addition to their pack like she had first believed. Looking at Quinn, Rachel directs her question to Santana, meeting her eyes a moment later. "Who is she?"

Sighing, Santana pushes away from the table, recognizing that pack business should probably not be discussed in front of Brittany but feeling an uncomfortable pull of hurt at cutting Brittany off. The connection she feels for Brittany isn't something she wants to easily dismiss, but she has to agree with Quinn that for now at least, this discussion is better had between them.

Brittany sees the look on Santana's face, the tension in the room apparent as they look at her, so she relaxes her stance, understanding that even while it seems like Santana doesn't want to make her leave, it's the best thing to do right now. "It's okay, Santana. Quinn is right. I'll head back to your cabin and just wait for you there."

Santana hopes the gratitude she feels at Brittany making the decision easier is conveyed by the small smile she sends her way before turning back to speak with Connell. "Connell, go with her and make sure she gets there okay."

"But Santana, I don't want to leave Rachel, and Malek and Nicolas are out there and I'm sure Brittany will be just fine."

"Connell."

The commanding tone slumps his shoulders and he reluctantly leaves Rachel's side, stopping as Santana touches his arm briefly. "Thank you for doing this. I know it seems silly but I'll feel better. I doubt Rachel was followed but…"

"I wasn't. I know how to cover my tracks, Santana."

Ignoring Rachel's words, Santana holds eye contact with Connell as she finishes speaking. "It's important that we all take care of each other and this also includes Brittany right now. Okay?"

Nodding his head, Connell stands a little straighter, choosing to accept Santana's command as a favor and feeling better because of it. Opening the door for Brittany, he steps back and waits for her to head out, glancing between Brittany and Santana as they hold eye contact before Brittany turns and walks out of the door. Shutting the door quietly behind him, Connell escorts Brittany back to Santana's cabin.

* * *

><p>"Santana, you shouldn't have to explain your commands to him. He should just obey them."<p>

"Hey!"

Quinn's face softens at Rachel's exclamation, running her fingers through her short hair with a heavy breath before replying. "You know what I'm trying to say. I know he's your twin but he needs to respect his alpha when she tells him to do something."

"He's just worried about me, that's all."

"I know, Rachel. But keeping order is everything during a time like this and he should know that. Look, I'll talk to him when he gets back, okay?"

Reaching out, Rachel runs her hand briefly along Quinn's side to acknowledge her words, looking over and noticing the dinner table for the first time. Santana faces them and sees the direction of Rachel's gaze, instructing Quinn to make Rachel a plate as she takes a seat next to her. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Two days ago. I wanted to get back here as fast as possible and with my leg, even as a wolf, I didn't cover as much ground as I would have liked so I just didn't think to stop to eat."

Putting the food down in front of Rachel, Quinn makes a disapproving noise, pouring Rachel a mug of mead as she sits down next to her. Even though it goes against the urgency she can feel bouncing around her body, she gives Rachel a few minutes to eat, focusing her nervous energy on clearing the rest the rest of table before taking a seat next to Rachel as well.

"That's the second one in as many months, not including Brittany's."

Letting Rachel continue to eat, Quinn answers Santana's statement, her eyes hard as she flexes her hand on top of the table. "Do you think they know we're here?"

"They couldn't. This place is as far away from everything as possible, mostly, and my cloaking spell holds. I know it does."

Leaning back in her seat, Quinn fixes Santana with an incredulous look, her eyebrow rising as she wipes a crumb from the table. "Except for Brittany. Who not only brought a pack of those _grustneks_ here but also, somehow, was able to run right to your doorstep and through the door."

Swallowing the last bite of her food, Rachel wipes her mouth, looking between Santana and Quinn before speaking. "Who _is_ Brittany?"

"A complication."

"Quinn."

"It's true and you know it. Having her here now, with everything that's been going on, it just doesn't feel right."

"She's not a threat."

"You don't know tha…"

"She's not."

"Okay, fine. She's not a threat. That doesn't mean that she can't bring a threat to us. He's threatened to hunt down and destroy all witches and warlocks. _All of them_ and that _will_ include Brittany. How long before they cast a dark seeking spell and find her? Or find you?"

"I've protected us this long and I'll keep protecting us." Santana can't help the edge that creeps into her voice and she leans closer to the table, her body language conveying the same point that Quinn made to Rachel earlier about Connell. Holding Quinn's gaze, Santana doesn't look away, even when Quinn finally breaks eye contact, her shoulders rounding just a little.

"I know you will, Santana. I just think that pretty soon, it may not be enough."

The truth of Quinn's words sit heavy in Santana's mind and she welcomes the sound of the door opening behind them, turning around just as Connell walks back in with Malek and Nicolas. As the other two head over to get some water, Connell approaches the table, pausing next to Santana. "She's all settled at your place and wanted me to tell you that she'll be waiting for you."

Rising from her seat, Santana gives Connell a smile, genuinely thanking him before moving aside so he could take the seat next to Rachel. Giving them some privacy, she walks over to where Malek and Nicolas are standing, catching the tail end of their conversation.

"…it could have been a print but I can't be sure."

"What did you find?"

Facing Santana, Malek holds his hands out to indicate a few inches of space. "We found what could possibly be a print, bigger than Rachel's, near the eastern edge of your land but it could have been one of us."

"It didn't smell like us."

"A stray then. It was only the single print and there wasn't enough underbrush to hide others. I can't say for certain whether Rachel was followed, but as there weren't any tracks but hers any closer to here, I don't believe she was."

Letting out a breath, Santana moves toward the front of the cabin, the eyes of her pack on her as she pauses by the door. "All of you get some rest. We'll have a second patrol tomorrow, just to be sure."

A quick look at Quinn and Santana amends her statement, squaring her shoulders as she speaks. "I'm also convening a Dacrem tomorrow night. We'll start at sundown."

Walking outside, Santana shuts the door, her hand lingering on the handle for a moment at the thought of holding a sacred pack meeting, only the third one she's ever had to call. She knows it's the right thing to do, but as she heads back toward her cabin, Santana feels the burden of being the alpha scratching its nails across her thoughts, the constant worry that she'll be enough of a leader like salt in the wounds.

* * *

><p>Opening the door quietly, Santana almost hopes to find Brittany asleep, her foolish notion easily discarded as she sees Brittany turn away from the window and approach her.<p>

Brittany has a hundred questions for Santana, about Rachel, and the coven, and most importantly, why Santana had even sent out one of her pack to Willowcrest in the first place, but the look on Santana's face stifles all of them. Clearing her throat gently, Brittany moves a little closer to Santana, catching her attention as Santana finishes closing the door. "Are you in pain?"

"What?"

"The spell you performed on Rachel, I know it hurt you. Are you in pain still?"

Brittany's concern, despite everything else that just happened at Quinn's cabin, soothes Santana and she's able to give Brittany a brief smile. "I'm not, but thank you for asking. How are you?"

Moving back as Santana walks past her, Brittany goes to the shelf by the table and grabs a clean cloth, watching as Santana dips her hands into the water basin and runs the water over her face. Handing Santana the cloth, Brittany walks over to the bed and sits down, removing her knee-high boots as Santana leans back against the ladder leading to the loft, tossing the cloth onto a shelf behind her. Placing her second boot down next to the bed, Brittany rests her elbows on her knees, trying to figure out a way to answer Santana honestly. "I don't know. I'm angry and hurt and confused. And tired. I'm so tired, Santana. I barely remember anything before this stupid fucking war and it feels like nothing will ever change."

"I'm sorry. I wish I had more to offer you than that but I don't."

"Will you tell me why you sent Rachel to Willowcrest? If you're so worried about being found out, why would you risk sending someone away from where they are protected?"

Reaching up, Santana grabs onto one of the rungs of the ladder above her head, stretching the muscles in her back as more weariness starts to set in. Her instinct is to tell Brittany everything, a growing part of her no longer wanting to question why she feels like trusting Brittany, but there's something stopping her. As she prepares to answer Brittany the best way she can, Santana makes herself a promise that after the Dacrem tomorrow night, she'll talk to Brittany, really talk to her.

"It's just another way for us to patrol. I like keeping tabs on the covens near us as a way of making sure that these lands haven't been compromised."

"And have they?"

"No."

"But Willowcrest was destroyed. And that's what, only a week's trek from here? Maybe a little shorter by horseback or, you know, when you're a wolf. That doesn't give you cause for concern?"

Santana bites back the _yes_ that's on the tip of her tongue, the real reasons pushing down from her brain, but instead she drops her arms down to her side with a sigh. "How can I answer that, Brittany? If I say no, that makes me callous. But if I say yes, then I'm admitting that I'm not doing my job of protecting us. Of course it gives me concern because of the lives lost but I know that we are safe here."

"For now."

"Brittany…"

"No, it's fine, Santana. I'm just…it's a lot to take in today and my thoughts are so turned around. I know you're protecting your pack, and me, but my heart aches to think of all those people dead. It seems as if all I ever hear about, and see, is just more death and destruction. I'm just tired of it all."

Brittany feels the truth of her words weighing her down like a blanket and she lets out a long breath, meeting Santana's eyes. "If it's okay with you, I'd just like to sleep now. I know there's probably still more to discuss but I don't think I have the energy left for it anymore tonight."

As Brittany lies down on her back, Santana walks over to the front door, sliding the latch down and enchanting it with a stronger blocking spell, closing her eyes as she does the same for the cabins behind her. Dimming the lanterns, Santana pauses next to the bed, Brittany's eyes already closed as she breathes softly, sleep seeming to claim her quickly. Unable to help herself, Santana crouches down next to Brittany, softly resting her hand on the bed near where Brittany's hand lays. Risking the touch, she brushes the back of her hand against Brittany's, her words whisper soft as she lets her touch linger for just a moment. "I promise you that no harm will come to you while you here and under my protection. I swear it on my life."

Brittany murmurs in her sleep and turns away slightly from Santana, prompting her to stand and make her way to the ladder. Climbing the ladder, she never sees Brittany's eyes opening, the hand that Santana touched brought close to her chest as she closes her eyes once more.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** The Dead of Night  
><strong>Author:<strong> crammit  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Glee  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Brittany/Santana  
><strong>Timeline:<strong> AU  
><strong>Summary: <strong>For hundreds of years, wolves and witches have existed in peaceful coexistence until a terrible threat seeks to tear that alliance apart. With witches on the brink of extinction, Brittany finds herself at the mercy of a beautiful stranger who isn't exactly what she seems. With no other choice but to put her trust and her life in this woman's hands, will Brittany find the key to stopping the violence wiping out her people or will she instead experience the ultimate betrayal? - Rated M for sex, language, and violence

**A/N:** Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done.

**A/N**: Big thanks again to **Uvaack** for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)

**A/N**: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated and thank you all so much who have reviewed already or who have sent me tweets and messages letting me know you're enjoying the story. :-)

* * *

><p>Brittany closes her eyes as the sun slowly appears over the horizon, the warmth heating her face and chasing the chill away from the morning air. With her back propped against a sturdy log, she relaxes against the pressure, her legs stretched out in front of her, while her palms move slowly back and forth across the blades of grass beneath her. The breeze is light today and barely raises her blonde hair from her shoulders as it brushes over her body. Inhaling deeply, Brittany smiles as the wind carries with it the scent of oram lilies she assumes are growing somewhere in the woods ahead of her. Before her lungs fill, she catches a different scent, darker and warmer, and a rush passes through her chest before she opens her eyes and turns her head, catching sight of Santana walking over to join her.<p>

"Good morning, Santana."

With a small smile for Brittany, Santana returns her greeting, angling her body towards the rising sun and welcoming the warmth the same way that Brittany did, tilting her head back slightly as she closes her eyes. She stands that way for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of peace that she feels in this moment as she listens to Brittany's quiet breaths, the swishing sound of the blades of grass beneath Brittany's hands seeming to keep the rhythm of her heartbeat. On a long exhale, Santana turns her head and meets Brittany's eyes, the blue of them lighter as morning starts to make its mark on the new day. Stepping forward, Santana takes a seat on the log that Brittany is leaning against, a comfortable distance separating them as Santana rests her palm behind her.

"Did you sleep okay last night?"

Brittany expected she'd find it hard to fall asleep after everything that happened after dinner last night but she finds that she can answer Santana honestly, as she had drifted off not too long after Santana had settled into the loft above where Brittany slept. "I did. I didn't think I would but I did."

"But you were up early today."

"I was. I slept okay but it seems as if my brain was eager to start the day, it started racing as soon as my eyes opened. I just can't stop thinking about what Rachel found and what this means. I mean, I know what it means. More death and destruction but I thought he'd stop at some point. That our absolute devastation and extinction wasn't his end goal but as this war goes on, I can't help but think that just might be what he's after. Still, how much money and power can one man use? How has he not grown tired of it all?"

"Is that what you think? That Aleksander did all this, and continues to do this, for power and wealth?"

"Yes, of course," Brittany answers Santana with a conviction that withers at the look on Santana's face. Pressing up from the ground, Brittany joins Santana and sits on the log, turning to face her more fully. "If not for that, then what does he do it for?"

"You don't know the story?"

"Apparently not."

At Brittany's sharp words, Santana takes a deep breath and reigns in her disbelieving tone, pushing aside her belief that everyone knew why this war had started. "I meant no offense, Brittany. I just meant…being a witch, I would have thought that the truth of everything would have been known, that's all. Though, I can understand how things may be distorted as words pass through different mouths and ears over time."

"Do you know the true story?"

Nodding her head, Santana sees the non-verbal prompt in Brittany's body language as she leans forward, instinctively moving closer to Santana. Closing her eyes briefly, Santana meets Brittany's gaze and ignores the ache in her chest as she asks if Brittany would like to hear the story. At her affirmative answer, Santana clears her throat and begins.

"Aleksander wasn't always like this. His family and his pack were one of the first royal families to settle at Ravensbrook. Featherstone Castle was known for its lavish celebrations where all were welcome and its kitchens would often provide food to the poor that lived in the land surrounding the castle. During one of the celebrations during winter solstice, Aleksander met a royal witch named Celia and fell in love. Both of them became enamoured with each other and he wanted to court her but her family didn't agree with the union."

"Why? I thought wolf and witch unions were accepted, even by the royals."

"They were but Celia's family had promised her to another, a family that held more prestige than Aleksander's, so they banished him from their lands and forbade Celia from seeing him. He was inconsolable, and blind with rage, and people knew to avoid him if they crossed his path at the castle. He found solace with a few of members of an outlaw pack of wolves that had gathered at the castle for a few days and they fed into his anger until it twisted something inside of him. He became convinced that Celia's family believed he wasn't good enough for her because he only had his power at night. Aleksander was jealous that witches and warlocks had their powers all the time and he recruited this outlaw pack to sneak onto Celia's family's land and kill them and take their power. He believed that if he removed the obstacle to them being together, and at the same time gained more power for himself, that he and Celia could be together and live happily ever after."

"I'm almost afraid to ask what happened next."

Crossing her legs, Santana licks her lips and exhales softly, continuing the story, "Aleksander and his new pack were successful in managing to sneak into the manor where Celia and her family lived, slaughtering all they came across, including Celia's mother and father and two brothers. When Celia came downstairs, she found their bodies arranged on the floor with Aleksander standing proudly over them. He believed that she would be happy since they could be together now but she was horrified and tried to flee. In his anger, he struck her down before she could leave the room and it was that act that broke whatever goodness he had left inside of him. He blamed all witches for his actions, cursing their powers as the catalyst for making him do what he did and he vowed to kill all of them. And that's exactly what he started to do. He, along with his pack, started killing any witch or warlock that they came across, letting it be known that any wolf was welcome to join them and to rise up against what he called the tyranny of the witches. The witches fought back, of course, as I'm sure you know, but within a short amount of time, more and more wolves joined Aleksander's pack, seeing a chance to gain power and status under his cause and eventually he attracted the attention of a dark coven."

"The Sogues."

"Yes. The darkest of the dark covens. They saw this as an opportunity to take the power and finally rule over lands they believed should be theirs. In that, you were right. It is about power and wealth for them and they saw, and still see, Aleksander as the vessel to allow them to accumulate that. They granted him and his wolves the ability to shift at will and they agreed to work on conjuring a spell that would cast the world in perpetual night, granting these now dark wolves full strength all the time, if the wolves allowed the Sogues to reign at their side. As more and more witches were struck down, others came to join Aleksander, believing they could start to see a world where they were the rulers."

"Why has this war waged so long? Why didn't the Sogues just conjure the spell as soon as Aleksander agreed to their demands?"

"There is an important element that makes up part of the spell that they need and they haven't found it yet. Early on in the war, when word got out about what the dark wolves and witches were trying to do, one of the covens took the item and hid it, sacrificing themselves so that no one would know of its location."

That part of Santana's story sounds familiar to Brittany, though she had always believed that the item that was hunted was sought due to its value in coin rather than its value as a ceremonial item. As she shifts to sit more comfortably, Brittany feels a little unsettled over hearing the story, wondering why the version she heard was vastly different than the one that Santana just told. Normally she might chalk it up to the natural interpretations that are made as stories are passed around but the details that Santana had, she seemed so sure about and even though it makes her feel uncomfortable, Brittany forces herself to question Santana.

"Santana, how do you know all this?"

Before Santana can answer Brittany's question, they both turn at the sound of approaching footsteps, Quinn's good morning offered in the form of bread and cheese in a small satchel, three mugs of tea balanced in her other hand. Sitting at the ground by Santana's feet, Quinn holds her hand out for Brittany and Santana to each take a mug of tea before reaching into the satchel and making a bread and cheese sandwich for all of them. Watching as Quinn hands Santana her sandwich, Brittany brings the tea closer to her nose, the fragrant steam letting her know that Quinn had prepared birchbriar tea for them this morning. Taking the sandwich held in her direction, Brittany meets Quinn's eyes, part of her understanding that bringing over breakfast is Quinn's way of apologizing for last night and the abrupt way she treated Brittany. Acknowledging Quinn's gesture with a nod, Brittany returns Quinn's small smile before turning her attention back to Santana who finishes a sip of the warm tea before looking at Quinn.

"Thanks for this, Quinn. Where are the others?"

"They're still finishing breakfast. Though when I left Connell was still sleeping."

Laughing softly, Santana takes a bite of her bread, the sharp taste of the cheese a nice contrast to the sweeter taste of the tea that Quinn brought with her. Swallowing, she meets Brittany's eyes and can feel the anxious energy coming from her, fully aware that she hadn't yet answered Brittany's question. Her hope that Brittany would take Quinn's arrival as a sign to continue their discussion another time is dashed as Brittany finishes her bread and cheese, washing it down with a last sip of tea, before setting her mug on the ground and looking back at Santana.

"How did you know all of what you just told me?"

"Know all of what?"

Before Santana can deflect Quinn's question, Brittany answers her and Santana can feel Quinn's gaze slide over to hers. "Santana was telling me the story about Aleksander and the war and why it really started. As it turns out, I didn't know even half of what really happened."

"Is that so?"

Quinn's tone has Santana turning her head and meeting Quinn's eyes full on, the question about how much Santana really told her coming through loud and clear. The concern in Quinn's eyes is matched only by the pleading in Santana's and after only a couple of seconds, Quinn's shoulders soften and she drops her chin subtly in a tiny nod. Fortunately, Brittany misses the look passing between them as the wind picks up, forcing her to look down to pull the laces on her shirt tighter together as the temperature cools slightly. When Brittany looks back up, all she sees is Santana looking at her while Quinn finishes the rest of her tea.

Clearing her throat, Santana uncrosses her legs and leans back slightly, her body language relaxed as she finally answers Brittany's last question. "Remember how I told you I was bitten and turned into what I am? I was being held at Featherstone Castle, a big group of us were. It's where they would bring you to either be killed for sport, where you would take the Dark Oath, or if they felt like it, where you would be changed against your will. During my time there, my captors had little else to do but talk and I picked up most of the story through them and filled in the rest with the people who shared my cell."

There's something to Santana's story and the way her body shifts once she's done speaking that makes Brittany want to reach out and stop her movement, knowing there's more to the story but uncertain on how to ask without pushing Santana. Quinn makes the decision for her by standing, pulling Santana away from Brittany as she asks if Santana is almost ready to go.

Standing up as well, Brittany wipes the small bits of bark from her pants, looking down and noticing that it's probably past time that she did another cleaning spell as she can't remember the last time she wore a different pair of pants. "Where are you heading off to?"

"Quinn and I are heading out to meet up with a trader to pick up some supplies but we shouldn't be gone too long."

Remembering Rachel's story from last night, Brittany steps a little closer, her voice laced with concern even she tries to be nonchalant about her question. "Are you sure it's safe, meeting with this trader?"

"Do you think we can't handle ourselves out there, _draka_?"

Brittany picks up on the lightly teasing tone of Quinn's voice, her use of a more neutral wolf word for light witch making Brittany smile. She can feel Quinn looking at her but she keeps her eyes on Santana, wanting it made clear that her concern has to do with meeting someone outside of the woods and not so much with their ability to take care of themselves. "Of course you both can, it's not that. How can you be sure you can trust this trader? After what Rachel said last night about Willowcrest, I'm just worried. About both of you."

At that last part, Brittany meets Quinn's hazel eyes and the sees the shift in them, the edges crinkling up slightly as she smiles while Santana answers Brittany. "It'll be okay. The trader we are meeting with is an old friend of Nicolas' and we've been trading with him since we've been here. It's perfectly safe."

Poking her finger against Santana's shoulder, Quinn laughs and rolls her eyes, leaning closer to Brittany as if sharing a secret. "That's because Santana glamours Ethan with a spell so he never remembers who we are, just that we traded with him and that Nicolas sent us."

Turning away from Quinn's annoying gesture, Santana ignores the teasing and instead looks over at Brittany. "Do you need anything, Brittany?"

Brittany can feel her cheeks heat up as she realizes that they only thing she has with her are the clothes on her back and the two daggers sitting on the window sill above the bed in Santana's cabin. Contemplating whether she could offer one of the daggers for trade, the twinge in her heart at giving up one of her daggers has her shaking her head and declining Santana's offer. "I don't have any coin to trade with since I lost my traveling pack when I fled from Rivers Run."

Santana wants to offer to pay for anything that Brittany wants, and the quickness with which Santana thought to make the offer has her shuffling her feet in the grass, but she recognizes the pride in Brittany's eyes and knows that any offer would be declined. Shrugging her shoulders, Santana watches as Brittany bends down to pick up the three empty mugs from the ground and she quickly turns to meet Quinn's eyes, jerking her chin towards Brittany and then towards the cabins.

With a quick eyeroll, Quinn turns her body and gestures behind her, thanking Brittany for picking up the mugs and suggesting that she should head around back and hang out with the rest of the pack while she and Santana are gone. The smile Brittany gives Quinn prompts a genuine one in return as Brittany says goodbye and leaves them, Quinn's smile turning into a smirk as she catches Santana watching Brittany walk away. Before she can say anything to Santana, Quinn's shoulders are quickly pulled downward as a large traveling pack settles on her shoulders. As she reaches up to adjust the sleeves of her gray tunic that are now bunched up around the straps, she looks over at Santana and meets her amused glance with a scowl as she notices that Santana's traveling pack is resting against the log at her feet.

Shrugging her shoulders to get the pack into a more comfortable position, Quinn's voice is petulant as she watches Santana put her arms through the straps of her own traveling pack. "That was rude. Also? It still unsettles me when you do that."

"Next time, I'll wait while you walk back for your pack, your Highness."

Waiting as Santana makes the final adjustments to her own tunic, Quinn looks over her shoulder at her cabin before meeting Santana's smug grin.

"Well, I wasn't saying all that."

"I thought so."

"Are you ready to go?"

"Can't you just conjure us there?"

"Cute. But no." Heading west towards the woods, Santana feels a sense of comfort as Quinn's footsteps fall into step automatically with hers, the journey to see Ethan a common one for them. Deciding to have a little fun, Santana whispers a quick spell and suddenly emerges at the edge of the woods about fifty yards away, laughing as Quinn looks over to where Santana should have been walking next to her.

"Not funny, Sant…" Quinn's breath is pushed from her lungs as Santana says the same spell, depositing Quinn a few feet away from her. "I hate it when you do that."

Laughing harder, Santana bows before tugging playfully on one of Quinn's shoulder straps. "Come on. If we hurry up, we may be back by lunchtime."

* * *

><p>As Brittany gets closer to the back cabins, a smile tugs on the corners of her mouth as she recognizes that Santana's pack is setting up for a game of <em>Diveres<em>, the feeling of familiarity bringing with it a small sense of nostalgia as she remembers playing it with her sister and her cousins. Wandering a little closer, she looks over as Rachel's voice carries over the field, laughing a little at the sight of Malek towering over her.

"Why won't you be on my team?"

"You know I don't play this game, _keela_."

Sighing good-naturedly, Rachel walks backwards as she smiles at Malek. "You know, Malek, one of these days I'm going to get you to stop referring to me as little one."

"Ah _keela_, maybe one of these days you'll actually grow."

Stopping near the row of broom handles set up to indicate the end of the playing area, Brittany taps Rachel on her shoulder and waits until she turns to face her. "I'll play on your team, Rachel."

Connell's voice interrupts Rachel before she can answer Brittany and Brittany feels herself charmed by the excited expression on his face. "You can play _Diveres_, Brittany? Are you any good?"

"Connell!"

"What? I was just asking, Rachel."

Chuckling as Rachel shoves playfully at Connell's shoulder, Nicolas walks closer and sizes Brittany up before patting his chest lightly. "You should play on my team, Brittany. If you like to win, that is."

"Hey! You'd ditch me that quickly?"

Brittany covers her smile as both Rachel and Connell look at Nicolas, Connell's face pinched with friendly irritation as Rachel just rolls her eyes at Nicolas. Grabbing onto Brittany's wrist lightly, Rachel pulls her closer to her side of the playing field, decisively nodding her head as she gestures Malek to come closer. "We'll play boys vs. girls and Malek can be _godin_."

Connell's soft _yes_ is drowned out by Nicolas' complaining as he drops his head back with a sigh. "No way. Last time Malek was _godin_ he called that bullshit foul on me for hitting Quinn and I barely even touched her. It was a fair play."

Bending down to pick up the hollow leather ball at his feet, Malek spins the ball against his palm as he stares at Nicolas. "I was doing you a favor, you know. You should be thanking me for getting you off the field before Quinn tore you apart."

Brittany joins in as everyone laughs, even Nicholas nods his head after a moment to acknowledge that Malek might have had a point. Putting her hair up into a bun, Brittany stands next to Rachel as Connell and Nicolas take their place on the other side of Malek. Taking his role as the score keeper and rule keeper seriously, Malek holds onto the ball a little longer as he glances around at the four people waiting for him to start to the game.

"The rules are simple. First team to score ten _draepos_ wins and you can only score by using your foot to put the ball into the baskets located at either end of the playing area. You step out of the lines of the field and you forfeit your turn. You commit a foul and you forfeit your turn and must remain out of the game for five minutes." At that, Malek turns to look at Nicolas, grinning as Nicolas waves his hands for Malek to get on with it. Holding the ball above his head, Malek issues one more statement as he looks over at Brittany and Rachel. "For the record? My coin is on the girls."

Launching the ball high above his head, Malek steps back as the others wait for the ball to get within reach, Connell's whoop of joy echoing over the field as he jumps towards the ball, using his head to knock it back to Nicolas. With a smile on her face and the thrill of competition racing along her veins, Brittany takes a deep breath and advances with Rachel, determined to see that Malek's prediction comes true.

The game progresses evenly enough and as Connell manages to knock in another _draepo _to tie the game at eight_,_ Brittany can't help but smile as Rachel high fives her brother before shoving him with a laugh and kicking the ball back towards Malek to start the next round. The chill in the air has been chased away by the sweat of exertion, Brittany's muscles warm and limber as she gets ready for Malek to send the ball skyward once more. Rachel and Connell are both really good players and Brittany imagines that they must be a formidable team when paired together, their twin connection no doubt giving them an edge. Because of this, Brittany realizes they sort of cancel each other out when playing on opposite sides and she looks over to find Nicolas grinning at her and knows that these next two _draepos_ will probably come down to her and Nicolas squaring off. As Malek prepares to start the next round, Brittany welcomes the rush of adrenaline it brings, meeting Nicolas' grin with a tight one of her own.

Sprinting forward, Brittany jumps up and manages to get to the ball first, knocking it down with her hand towards her feet, stumbling a bit as Nicolas brushes against her trying to get the ball. Turning her shoulder, Brittany manages to kick the ball to Rachel before Nicolas can get to it, gritting her teeth as Nicolas once again pushes closer to her body. While she knows the contact is harmless, the grin that he keeps sending her has Brittany determined to see it chased from his face. Running around Nicolas, Brittany manages to cut in front of Connell, using him as a shield to prevent Nicolas from getting close to her, and opening herself up for Rachel to send her the ball. Stretching her leg forward, Brittany gets the ball under control and turns towards the back of the field, the basket less than fifteen feet from her now. Brittany pushes forward and sees Rachel streak past her, Connell close on her heels as he prevents Brittany from sending the ball Rachel's way. Shifting her body towards the basket on the ground, Brittany grunts out a breath as Nicolas once again pushes his body against hers as he tries to get the ball. Even though she knows that she shouldn't, Brittany drops her hand and sends a small burst of magic down to her fingers, zapping Nicolas with just enough force to knock him back slightly as she runs forward and sends the ball towards the basket, the satisfying crunch of the ball hitting the back of the woven material making her smile. Holding her hand out for Rachel to hit as she gets closer, Brittany laughs at the grin Rachel gives her, pulling back on her magic in just enough time so that she doesn't zap Rachel as well.

"Malek, tell me you saw that."

"Saw what?"

"You can't be serious. Brittany used her magic to keep me away from the ball."

"I didn't see anything."

With his eyebrows creeping toward his hairline, Nicolas wipes the sweat from his forehead and wiggles his fingers in Malek's direction to mimic Brittany's hands. "You didn't? I suppose I intentionally jumped back just to let her pass by me so she could score."

Tossing the ball to Malek, Connell pats Nicolas on the shoulder, his face every bit of playful sympathy. "You _are_ always going on and on about what a gentleman you are, Nicolas."

Shrugging Connell's hand from his shoulder, Nicolas bends down to adjust the laces on his boots, missing the wink that Malek sends Brittany's way.

Lining up across from Brittany once more, Nicolas squints his eyes and shakes his head, breaking into a smile as Brittany continues to just calmly watch him. "I've been taking it easy on you this whole time, _draka_. But I think I might have underestimated you. This time, you won't be able to get past me so easily."

Keeping her eyes on Nicolas even as Malek raises his hand to release the ball, Brittany flexes her fingers and grins, sweat dripping from her chin at the movement. "We'll see."

* * *

><p>Opening the door to her cabin, Quinn is hit with a wall of sound as Brittany and the others talk and laugh around a table of a lunch long since finished, stepping inside as she feels Santana approaching from behind her. Putting her pack on the floor by the door, she shuts it as Santana walks in, both of them stopping a few feet from the table as Connell spots them.<p>

"You guys are never going to believe it. We were playing _Diveres_ and Brittany came over to play and she and Rachel totally kicked our butts and beat us in two straight games."

"Traitor. How can you actually sound happy and proud about that when we were the ones who lost?"

"Traitor? You waited all of two seconds before trying to drop me to get Brittany on your team. You're just mad that she scored the winning goal on you. Twice."

Santana finds her gaze pulled to the chagrined look on Nicolas' face as he looks over at her, the weird mix of jealousy and amusement tempered at the sound of Brittany's laugh. Santana continues to keep his gaze, drawing further enjoyment from having him squirm in his chair before he looks away, holding his hands up with a smile. "Okay, okay, fine. You're right. She did beat us, and mostly me, fair and square."

Brittany meets his eyes and realizes that he's forgiving her for the zap she gave him earlier and is keeping it between them. Tipping her water mug slightly in his direction Brittany smiles at Nicolas before turning around in her chair, curious as to the rustling sound behind her. Connell's excited voice once again fills the silence as he leans over the table to talk to Quinn. "What did you get, Quinn? Did you remember to pick up the…"

Cutting him off, Quinn stands up with an indulgent smile, holding a cloth-wrapped square of something in both her hands. "Yes, I did get you your _kerant_ sweetbread. As if I could have forgotten. You only asked me for it a hundred times."

Moving around the table, Connell takes the sweetbread from Quinn before pulling her into a hug, Brittany noticing the look that passes between Quinn and Rachel, Rachel's smile soft as she meets Quinn's eyes.

"You're going to spoil the boy, Quinn."

Malek's deep voice makes Quinn pull back as Connell takes his sweetbread over to one of the shelves behind the main dining table. Arching her eyebrow, Quinn crosses her arms across her chest as she meet's Malek's eyes. "Am I? I guess that means that you don't want the Halefire dagger I managed to procure for you. Pity, really. The craftsmanship really is stunning, as you well know. But, I wouldn't want to spoil you or anything."

There's a half second of silence before both Quinn and Malek laugh, the smile on his face as Quinn rummages through the pack to get the dagger making Brittany watch him for a moment. As Quinn walks over to him with the dagger laid across her palm, Brittany sees the man underneath the warrior, despite the gift of a weapon he's receiving, and wonders what he must have been like as a little boy as his smile transforms his face. Walking over to one of the windows, Malek holds the dagger up towards the light, the rest of the room forgotten as he looks over his new gift.

Turning her head, Brittany catches Quinn discretely holding something out to Rachel and she feels like she should look away as Rachel keeps her hand on top of Quinn's but Brittany finds that she can't. Sliding her hand underneath Quinn's, Rachel looks down at the small pouch in Quinn's hand. Brittany can see the happiness on Rachel's face and the slight embarrassment on Quinn's as Rachel keeps their hands together and Brittany finds it endearing to be able to see this other side to Quinn.

Giving them their semi-private moment, Brittany stands up and faces Santana, noticing that she doesn't have her pack with her. Santana sees where Brittany is looking and jerks her thumb over her shoulder at the unspoken question. "It's back at my cabin. Are you all finished with lunch? Did you want to head back…now?"

Santana wants to close her eyes as she realizes that she almost said _home_ and that Brittany probably realizes it, if the look on her face is any indication. Making herself hold Brittany's gaze, Santana actually feels her shoulders slump in relief as Brittany agrees to head back but first turns around to see if Rachel would like any help with cleaning up the dishes.

"Oh. No, but thank you. Losers always have to clean up. Assuming Connell can stop stuffing his face with that sweetbread long enough to come back over here. Connell, Quinn _just_ got that for you…"

Laughing as Rachel stands up and heads over to where Connell is trying to wrap the cloth around the half-eaten sweetbread, Brittany is surprised to find Nicolas standing in front of her with his hand outstretched. Shaking his hand, Brittany can sense Santana at her back watching them as Nicolas gives Brittany a genuine smile. "You played well today, Brittany. I'm looking forward to a rematch."

The sound of the door opening behind her prompts Brittany to let go of Nicolas' hand with a friendly warning that he shouldn't be so eager to lose again. His laugh joins a chorus of goodbyes as Santana and Brittany leave and make their way to Santana's cabin.

* * *

><p>Walking in ahead of Santana, Brittany sees a traveling pack sitting on the table and walks over to it, turning her head as Santana closes the door. "Do you need help putting these things away?"<p>

Santana's cheeks flush as Brittany goes to reach into the pack and she rushes over to stop her, pulling the pack out of Brittany's reach. At Brittany's confused expression, Santana clears her throat, reaching into the pack and pulling out a wrapped package, placing it on the table in front of Brittany. "I know you didn't ask for anything but I picked up a few things for you anyway."

Sitting down, Brittany glances at the package and feels her chest flush warm at the thought that Santana brought something back for her. Running her fingers over the dark twine holding the wrapping together, Brittany looks up to find Santana pulling other items from the pack and walking around the cabin to put them away. She caught the blush on Santana's cheeks and with Santana's back turned at the moment, Brittany allows the big grin to come to her face, enjoying the giddy sense of anticipation she feels as she starts to pull the knot apart to open the package.

Santana can hear the crinkling of the wrapping at the table and while a part of her desperately wants to watch Brittany as she looks inside, there's another part of her that doesn't want to watch in case Brittany doesn't like what she bought her. Standing at one of the shelves fiddling with pouches of spices that could have been put away in a few seconds, Santana can feel the heat creeping along her neck the longer that Brittany doesn't say anything and she finally gives in and turns around, the spices quickly forgotten at the look on Brittany's face as she stands in front of her.

Brittany can see Santana turn around out of the corner of her eye but she can't look away from the items in her hand, a new pair of black pants with reinforced stitching along the waist to account for the weight of her dagger belt, and two new tunics, sewn with an extra layer to help ward off colder temperatures. The first tunic that Brittany shakes out to look at seems to be a darker version of the blue of her magic and Brittany tries to ignore the flutter in her stomach at Santana picking this one out. Moving that tunic aside, the flutter turns into a flash of heat as Brittany reaches down to pull out the second tunic, holding it up and catching her breath for a moment as she meets Santana's eyes over the edge of the collar, the red fabric of this tunic an exact match to the one that Santana let her borrow.

"I had to…uh…guess the sizes but if they don't fit, I can always ask Rachel to adjust them. She's actually really good with a needle and thread."

The thought of Santana picturing her body and what might fit on it has Brittany tilting her head down as if she's looking over the sleeves of the tunic, hoping that her hair is doing its job of covering her blushing cheeks. Standing up, Brittany holds the red tunic in front of her before picking up the blue one and doing the same, feeling happy as it seems that Santana guessed right on the sizes. Placing them both down on the table, Brittany swallows hard at the blending of the two colors, her mind instantly flashing back to when she and Santana joined their magic the day before. Santana stares as Brittany runs her fingers over the fabric of each tunic, her face unreadable to Santana as a few moments of silence pass.

Knowing that she had picked out each of the colors for very specific reasons, Santana feels self-conscious that maybe Brittany doesn't like the colors and is just too polite to say so. Curling her fingers against her palm to fight the urge to snatch the tunics away and throw them out the door to get rid of the embarrassment she's feeling, Santana looks down at her feet as she speaks softly. "If you don't like the colors, I can change them for you. I can enchant them to be any color you'd like. Unless you don't like them at all which would be fine also since you didn't really ask for anything but I just thought that…"

The scrape of the table as Brittany's thigh bumps into it has Santana's rambling come to a quiet stop and they just watch each other. Smiling at Santana and touched by the sentiment, Brittany's instinct is to hug her and she moves to do just that but the look of panic on Santana's face has her settling for rubbing Santana's shoulder instead. Picking up the clothes, Brittany moves past Santana, towards the bed, and notices that there is another traveling pack sitting on the bed.

"I thought that you could use it since you arrived here without one. Ethan said this one is put together in such a way that it wouldn't brush up against your daggers while you were walking."

Dropping the clothes to the bed, Brittany runs her hands over the pack, her throat tight in a way that forces her to keep her back to Santana. The sweetness of Santana's gestures has Brittany's heart racing and she takes a shallow breath before looking over her shoulder, her cheeks curving into a smile as she notices Santana nervously playing with the end of her sleeve. "This is so thoughtful, Santana. The clothes are perfect but you didn't have to do any of this. I can't possibly pay you for it."

Letting her hands fall to her side, Santana takes a small step forward and tilts her head, her eyes roaming over Brittany's face of their own volition before meeting her gaze. "And you won't have to. These are gifts and I don't expect or want you to pay for them. You've been through so much and I just wanted to be able to give you something to hopefully make things a little better."

Brittany sits on the edge of the bed, her arm resting over the top of the pack as she and Santana look at each other, the late afternoon sun casting the room in a golden hue. She knows she should say something, thank Santana again, but her voice is caught in her throat at the way Santana is looking at her. Her dark hair must have been tied back in a ponytail as she'd gone on her trip with Quinn but there are curling tendrils falling around Santana's face and Brittany finds that she wants to brush them away. Her urge to hug Santana is stronger than before and she presses her feet harder against the floor as she tries to force her body to remain seated. Santana's eyes are dark with the sun coming in through the window behind her and Brittany realizes that their breathing is nearly matching breath for breath. Shifting on the bed, Brittany accidentally dislodges the traveling pack and it topples over, landing on the floor with a thud and breaking whatever moment had been building between them. As Brittany leans down to grab the pack, an uncomfortable thought slides into her mind at the reason for why she needs this pack and how she came to end up at Santana's cabin without one.

Resting the pack against the bottom of the bed, Brittany looks up and notices Santana's face has a serious look about it as she also glances at the pack, her chest moving with a deep sigh before she grabs her own empty pack and heads toward the loft in the back to store it behind the ladder.

Santana scratches at the side of her nose before pinching the bridge of it and closing her eyes, her thoughts about Brittany churning around inside of her head. She can't really deny the pull that she feels to Brittany, nor can she deny that she's pretty sure that Brittany is feeling it too, but this situation that they are in is a tenuous one. Thinking about the reason for Brittany even being there reminds Santana that she needs to tell Brittany about what is happening later that evening.

Walking over to pour herself a mug of water, Santana offers one to Brittany and then motions for her to join Santana at the table. Waiting until Brittany sits, Santana takes a long sip of water before gently setting her mug down on the table. "Have you ever heard of a ceremony called a Dacrem?"

"I think so. It's like a council meeting, right?"

Nodding her head, Santana finishes her water and pushes her mug to the side, resting her elbows on the table as she folds her hands in front of her. "Yes, it's something like that. A Dacrem is called when decisions need to be made that will affect the pack as a whole. It's not called very often as most decisions can be made without necessarily needing a general consensus. But when there is something that could alter the pack, either positively or negatively, the Dacrem is held to make sure all the voices are heard before the alpha makes the final decision."

"Am I that _something_?"

Brittany's stomach drops a little as Santana doesn't answer her right away and even though she wants Santana to be honest with her, Brittany can feel her pulse pick up at the tension she can read in Santana's body language.

"Not…not entirely, no. But I've realized that with your arrival here, as well as the destruction of Willowcrest, that it might be time to reevaluate our position, or at least discuss other measures we can take to protect ourselves."

Her shoulders slumping, Brittany breaks eye contact with Santana, looking down at her mug as she turns it slowly in her hands. "I'm so sorry for all of this, Santana. If only I hadn't come here, you wouldn't be having all of this trouble."

"Brittany, no. It's not…look at me," Santana's voice takes on a softer tone as she ducks her head slightly to get Brittany to meet her eyes. "Listen, you coming here does worry me. I'm not going to lie to you about that."

Talking over Brittany's heavy sigh, Santana keeps looking at Brittany, leaning forward in her chair as she continues speaking earnestly to her. "But what your presence here made me realize is that I've become a little complacent. We've been here so many months without incident that I think it became easy for us to forget about everything that's been going on out there and not realize how far the war has spread. As you saw with Rachel, we do go out to check on covens to make sure things are still safe, or as safe as any place in this land could possibly be. Your flight from Rivers Run and what happened at Willowcrest are the reminders that I think we needed that whether we like it or not, there will probably come a time when even being here, protected by spells and barriers, will not be enough."

"Can I attend the Dacrem?"

The request catches Santana off guard and she sits back in her chair, not expecting that Brittany would think to ask to go to the ceremony. She genuinely feels bad that she has to tell Brittany she can't come since she knows that whether she likes it or not, the decision she makes tonight will also affect Brittany. "Ah, no, I'm sorry. It's only for the pack."

"It's okay. I understand." Brittany tries to curb the hurt she feels from creeping into her voice, taking a moment to take a sip of water from her mug. She's startled to realize that the reason she feels hurt is because she is starting to think of Santana's pack as her friends but while she has been forming friendships with them, she's still an outsider. She's not part of their pack and as a witch, cannot ever be part of their pack. The stark reminder of that fact is sitting across from her even though Santana was gentle in her denial of allowing Brittany to go to the Dacrem.

Brushing off the hurt she feels, Brittany takes a slow breath and puts a smile on her face, opting to change the subject and save both her and Santana further discomfort. "Will you be having dinner before the ceremony?"

Santana watched the play of emotion across Brittany's face and her heart twisted a little at the look of hurt she could see there, a small frown marring the space between Brittany's blue eyes. But just as quickly as it came it was gone and the angst she felt over having inadvertently hurt Brittany is replaced with the same flutter she's starting to feel whenever Brittany smiles at her. Determined to pass these next couple of hours without the weight of the Dacrem hanging on her shoulders, Santana returns Brittany's smile and answers her. "I am. We can have dinner together here before I go, if you'd like."

Santana watches Brittany's eyes light up at her statement and she has to bite her tongue so she doesn't pay Brittany the compliment that is rolling around in her mind. The sunlight slants across Brittany's face and Santana finds that she wants to run her fingers across the strands of Brittany's blond hair to see if they are warm from the sun. As Brittany's smile curls into a small smirk, Santana runs her palms across the tops of her thighs, just to give them something to do so she doesn't reach across the table for Brittany's hands, the delicate bones of her wrists visible as Brittany's tunic rides up slightly on her forearms.

"I'd like that. But, as I did the cooking one night and we ate at Quinn's last night, can you make anything else besides stew?"

Laughing, Santana raises her eyebrow, Brittany's playful challenge putting a big grin on her face. Pushing back from the table, Santana stands up and moves around to the back of her chair, resting her elbows across the back of it. "Tell you what. Give me one hour alone in here and I'll promise that the dinner I make you will be the best thing you've eaten so far."

* * *

><p>Putting her fork down on her plate, Brittany slouches down in her chair slightly and meets Santana's amused smile as she takes a sip of wine. "What?"<p>

Gesturing to Brittany's empty plate, Santana feels a spark of pride that her dinner was so well-received. "I told you I'd make something that you'd like."

"Like? You're lucky I let you eat what was on your plate. It was delicious, Santana."

The smile that Brittany gives her warms Santana's cheeks and she accepts the compliment with a blush, putting her mug down with a small apology. "I am sorry I didn't have time to make something for dessert though."

Considering, Brittany moves her plate to the side of the table and sits forward, drawn to the lantern light bathing Santana's face in a warm glow. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Do you ever take a shortcut and just conjure the meal that you want?"

"I have before, though there always seems to be just a little something off about the taste. It's hard to put my finger on but it might be the residual taste of the magic. What about you?"

Tucking her blonde hair behind one ear, Brittany puts her elbow on the table and rests her cheek in her palm, smiling as she answers Santana's question. "Oh, definitely. Sometimes you just don't have a choice but I'd much rather cook. There's just something about taking the time and care to pick out the ingredients and the spices and work to put it all together to make a meal. Maybe the hard work makes it taste better."

Laughing, Santana pushes her plate to the side too and mimics Brittany's pose, her voice teasing as she looks at her. "Hmmm. Maybe I should have worked a little harder to make dessert for you."

Brittany's eyes light up at the thought and Santana laughs again, teasing Brittany. "Why do I feel like your sweet tooth is as bad as Connell's?"

Looking down at the table, Brittany can't help but shake her head and shrug, unable to deny Santana's claim. Suddenly there's a brief flash of red light and Brittany lets out a delighted gasp as a small chocolate cake appears on a plate in front of Brittany, fresh huntersberries ringing the outside of the cake. Brittany can actually feel the warmth rush across her chest at Santana's gesture, a part of her recognizing that Santana included the huntersberries specifically because she knows that Brittany likes them. Looking across the table, Brittany notices that Santana doesn't have any dessert in front of her and her smile dims just a little bit. "Aren't you going to have any dessert?"

"No. Watching you enjoy it will be enough."

Brittany's fork stops in midair as she meets Santana's eyes and the look in them makes Santana realize how what she said might have sounded. Leaning back in her chair, she drops her hands under the table and interlaces her fingers, squeezing them together to keep from covering her face. "I, uh, don't really have a taste for sweets. At least not as much as you and Connell seem to, and besides, I really should start getting ready to leave here soon. It's almost sunset."

Swallowing a small bite of the cake, Brittany hums in pleasure at the taste, missing the way Santana's eyes widen at the sound. Pushing her fork down to get another piece, Brittany glances outside before looking over at Santana. "How long does the Dacrem usually take?"

Picking up their empty plates, Santana gets up and brings the dishes over to a smaller table to be cleaned, pausing for a moment to look out the window. The shadows are starting to creep along the edge of the tree line and encroach on the field in front of her cabin and Santana can feel the weight of the ceremony starting to pull on her. Letting out a small sigh, she turns around and jolts as Brittany steps close to her, the small dessert plate in her hand.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I just thought I could clean up since you were nice enough to make dinner."

Santana kids herself into believing that her racing heart has to do more with Brittany suddenly appearing behind her and less to do with being this close to Brittany, but as Brittany leans closer to put the plate with the others, Santana's pulse jumps again. Moving aside, Santana goes to the table and picks up their mugs, handing them to Brittany and pointedly ignoring the way Brittany's fingers linger for just a moment before she takes them. Heading to the dresser by the loft with a mumbled _thank you_, Santana can feel Brittany watching her and she fumbles with the drawer before pulling it open and looking over her shoulder at Brittany. "Depending on the issue, the ceremony can take anywhere from an hour to several hours. I can't really say how long tonight's will take, to be honest."

Straightening up, Santana hears a sharp intake of breath from Brittany and looks over at her but Brittany's eyes are on the object in her hand. "Santana, that's beautiful."

The ceremonial tunic is trimmed in intricate patterns, the darker red weaving seamlessly throughout the lighter red and black of the fabric. Blushing over Brittany's reaction, Santana keeps her eyes on the tunic, her thumb brushing over the corner of the collar. "It's the alpha's tunic. It's to be worn for the Dacrem tonight."

Brittany observes as Santana averts her gaze, looking upon the tunic as if it's the first time she's seen it and Brittany wants so much to talk to Santana about her position in the pack. She wants to know why Santana seems reluctant to accept it, yet she clearly takes her role as alpha seriously. It's an interesting duality and Brittany adds this topic to the growing list of things she wants to know about Santana. She understands that tonight is not the night for it and so she puts a smile on her face, pointing the dishes next to her once Santana finally looks up at her. "I'll go ahead and get these taken care of while you get ready, okay?"

Nodding her head, Santana waits until Brittany turns her back before she moves toward the corner of the cabin, throwing out a quick cloaking spell while she gets changed. Within a few minutes, Santana is ready and she hears Brittany back at the table, pushing in the chairs. Removing the spell, Santana turns around and as before, the sound that Brittany makes stops Santana from moving, both of them standing still as Brittany's eyes roam over Santana.

Brittany is glad that her hands are still on the back of one of the chairs because it gives her something to hold on to, the sight of Santana in her alpha's tunic making her knees feel weak for a moment. Santana had left her hair down and it looks wild as it falls over her shoulders, the natural waviness seeming to highlight the whorls of the dark red stitching that wind their way around the tunic. Brittany watches as Santana's fingers flex before rubbing quickly against the top of her thighs, the black fabric of her pants pulled tight around her legs, the bottom of the pants disappearing into a pair of black calfskin boots. Tightening her grip on the back of the chair, Brittany allows herself to welcome the heat flushing through her body at the look of Santana. There's something beautiful in the way that Santana will be presenting herself to her pack and the colors of the alpha's tunic make Santana look a little a dangerous, Brittany's mind once again conjuring the image of Santana's hands on her wrists with their power shared between them. With her pulse racing, Brittany finds that she can't quite form the words to break the silence that's stretching between them and challenges herself to hold Santana's gaze.

Brittany's scrutiny feels like a physical touch and Santana takes a step forward, something in her driving her to want to be closer to Brittany in that moment. Her skin feels warm beneath her clothes and Santana can pick up the motion of Brittany's fingers against the chair, her rolled up sleeves exposing the skin of her forearms, the fine muscles there bunching and flexing as Brittany's hands grip the top of the chair. The sun has completely set and the few lanterns that Santana lit when she started dinner aren't enough to really illuminate the cabin and for a brief second, Santana has the feeling like the only two people that exist are her and Brittany, the darkness outside forgotten as Brittany takes a breath and licks her lips.

There's a low howl far off in the distance and Santana closes her eyes, pushing down her feelings as the reality of tonight comes rushing back. She has a duty, not only to herself but to her pack and while her time here with Brittany is giving her a glimpse of something she's not sure she's ever felt before, her obligations must come first. Despite a fervent desire to stay there with Brittany, Santana exhales and opens her eyes, squaring her shoulders as she heads towards the front door.

Brittany can see the struggle on Santana's face and even as she thrills in whatever is happening between them, she respects Santana enough to let her leave without anything else weighing her down. Relaxing the tension in her body, Brittany smiles easily at Santana as she pauses at the door. Lifting her hand to ignite the rest of the lanterns, Santana pulls the door open and lets her eyes trail over Brittany once before meeting her eyes, Santana's voice carrying an undercurrent that Brittany feels tingle inside of her chest. "I'll see you soon, Brittany."

With that Santana leaves and Brittany waits until the door closes before pulling the chair back and falling back onto it, her hand reaching up to rest against her racing heart as her eyes remain on the front door. Unsure of how long she'll be here by herself, Brittany drops her head back against the top of the chair with a heavy breath, wondering how much longer she and Santana can dance around this thing between them before one of them says something about it.

* * *

><p>The first thing Santana sees as she enters the clearing is a smirking Malek, his hands resting on top of his head as he watches Nicolas tugging futilely on the fancy ties of Connell's tunic, Malek's own dark purple shirt draped perfectly over his muscled frame.<p>

"Stop fidgeting so I can fix this. How did you even manage to get these tangled up so badly?"

"Why don't you go shave that thing you call a beard and stop hassling me over my shirt?"

Huffing out a laugh, Santana turns away from the three men to her left, searching the clearing for Quinn and Rachel and finding them just off to the side, Rachel's hand resting against Quinn's waist. Santana sees the necklace that Quinn had bought earlier for Rachel resting against the exposed skin shown by Rachel's shirt, the light green color a perfect match to the ceremonial tunic that Quinn was wearing. As she watches them talk quietly, Santana finds herself thinking about a certain blonde witch back at her cabin. It's not jealousy she feels as she watches Quinn duck her head shyly at something that Rachel says, for she understands what a gift each of them has been to each other, but a yearning. Since her escape from Featherstone Castle all those long months ago, Santana hasn't allowed herself to think of anything else other than her pack and their safety. Thoughts of having a relationship, even as she watched the one between Quinn and Rachel bloom, never really registered with her but the appearance of Brittany in her life has sparked something inside Santana and she has to acknowledge that her thoughts lately have followed a slightly different path than before.

Santana is brought out of her daydreaming by a dramatic sigh, Malek finally unable to restrain himself from walking over to where Connell and Nicolas are standing, moving Nicolas out of the way and fixing Connell's laces himself. Leaving them to it, Santana approaches Quinn, offering a quiet greeting to Rachel as she steps away from Quinn with a smile. "Is everything ready for the Dacrem?"

"Yes, Santana." The shift in Quinn is instant, her shoulders pulling back as she meets Santana's eyes, the mantle of beta resting easily on her frame.

Resting her hand on Quinn's shoulder, Santana nods her head. "Then let's get started."

As Quinn calls everyone to the ceremonial circle, Santana feels an amazing sense of pride watching her pack in their fine apparel, their heads held high as they step forward. Despite all the things about becoming a hybrid that she still struggles with, Santana can't deny the rush of power it gives her to see her pack this way, the pride of responsibility right on its heels. Meeting Quinn's calm hazel eyes, she is grateful that she can share this with her, the first member of her pack. They'd both come a long way since their first encounter with each other and as Santana has learned to find her way as alpha, having Quinn there for guidance and support has proved invaluable, especially during these more official moments. With a quick deep breath, Santana faces forward and starts the Dacrem.

"I call upon all of you to step forward and say your wolf names, taken when you joined my pack. Upon doing so, you will let the Spirits who guide us know that you are gathered here together tonight as a pack and of your own free will. As you offer the truth of your being, so you request the truth of their wisdom."

_Quinn._ "Tagek."

_Rachel_. "Agaras."

_Nicolas_. "Savune."

_Malek_. "Khelin."

_Connell_. "Breniras."

Lifting her chin, Santana offers her own name in a calm voice. "Arcesht. We offer our names humbly to our ancestors and to our Earth spirits and we ask for strength, guidance, and clarity. I call now for the ceremonial fire to be lit."

As the omega, Connell steps forward, the last one of the pack providing balance as the first one to start to the ceremony. Santana's can see the pride in her pack's eyes as Connell lights the fire, the playfulness from earlier gone under the sacred ritual of the Dacrem, and she sees this reflected in the seriousness on Connell's face. Touched by it, she offers him a small smile as he takes a small step back, remaining within a couple feet of the fire as Santana whispers a spell to enchant the fire, ensuring that it will burn for the duration of their Dacrem.

"I call now for an offering, given in trust and accepted freely."

Quinn steps forward with Rachel, gently holding Rachel's hand as she holds it up over the fire. The metal sound of a ceremonial dagger being pulled from its sheath joins the crackling sound of the fire, Quinn meeting Rachel's eyes before slicing quickly across her palm. Cupping her hand under Rachel's, Quinn allows the blood to pool for a few seconds before holding her hand open, letting the blood drip into the fire. Rachel and Quinn never look away from each other and Santana feels her cheeks warm slightly at the emotion she can see between them. As Rachel curls her hand into a fist, Quinn places the dagger back in the sheath at her waist, both of them turning and meeting Santana's eyes before stepping back and joining Connell in facing the fire.

"I call now for a sacrifice, taken in respect and given with the same."

At that, Nicolas steps forward, a rabbit held limply in his hands. Closing his eyes briefly, he whispers an offering of gratitude to the animal for its sacrifice, gently placing it into the fire where it burns red for a moment before disappearing. Nicolas steps back and watches the fire for a moment before glancing over at Santana, his hands clasped behind his back as he waits calmly for her to continue.

"I call for an offer of humility, shown without deceit and received with honor."

Across from Santana, Malek steps forward, his eyes locked onto hers across the fire as he rolls up the sleeve of his tunic, baring his hand to the fire. Holding it across the flames, Malek keeps Santana's gaze, allowing her to see his pain as his fingers flex against the heat. After another moment, he steps back, his hand held out to the side as stands next to Rachel by the fire.

With the final offering, Santana steps forward and looks at her pack, her voice slightly rushed as she makes her way over to the other side of the fire. "The final offering is love and I give this of myself to my pack, bestowed truly and with purity of intent."

Reaching out, she takes Rachel's and Malek's hands in hers, healing them with her magic and taking the pain of her pack into herself as her sign of love for them. Exhaling a long breath, Santana releases them, both Rachel and Malek offering her a smile as she makes her way back to where she was standing.

With the offerings complete and with all of them now standing inside the ceremonial circle with the fire lit, the Dacrem can finally truly begin and Santana brushes her hair away from her face before speaking. "Here in this circle, you can share your opinions freely. Pack order is put aside and there are no repercussions for what you say but you will respect each other and you will respect my final decision. Are you all in agreement?"

After they all nod their heads, Santana continues. "With the arrival of Brittany the other night, and with the fall of the coven at Willowcrest, I want to know if you all think it's time to reevaluate our position here. I believe we are still safe but I want your confidence in that assessment. Also, we have remained secluded from this war since seeking refuge here. Each with our own reasons for doing so but also we've done so for the good of this pack. I told you all when we first decided to make this our home that there would come a time when we may have to move on and with these two most recent events, after things remaining quiet for a while, is that time now?"

Surprisingly, it's Connell that speaks first, his eyes on Rachel first before looking over at Santana. "I like this place, Santana. As you know, after Rachel and I fled Winterhaven, we didn't stop moving for weeks, resting for a day at best before moving on again. This place here, it's the first place that's felt like home in a while. And, I like Brittany. I don't mind that she's here."

The sweetness of Connell's sentiment puts a smile on Santana's face and she sees Rachel smiling at Connell as well. Santana expected something like this from Connell, the goodness of his heart readily apparent to anyone who spends more than a few minutes with him, and so she accepts his opinion but knows that there are more practical considerations and trusts that other members of her pack will speak to them.

She's not disappointed as Malek's voice rumbles from his chest, his face as serious as Connell's was relaxed. "Brittany being here doesn't concern me. If those _grustneks_ wanted to, they would have come back the following day or night to pick up her trail. Or try to pick up her trail and they haven't."

"So far. Just because it's been a few days doesn't mean that they won't come back."

Looking at Nicholas, Quinn responds to his observation, shrugging her shoulders as she answers him. "I said the same to Santana and she made a valid point, Nicolas. Her magic has held this whole time and we've gone undetected for months. Even if they came back, they would see nothing."

"But Brittany found her cabin."

Quinn's eyebrow arches as she glances at Santana, keeping her tone respectful even as she doesn't miss the opportunity to tease Santana a little. "Well now, that's true. But I think that's something for Santana to talk to Brittany about, don't you?"

"Brittany's shown that she isn't a threat and I think that Quinn is right in saying that whatever allowed Brittany to find Santana's cabin should be discussed between them."

Rachel's agreement with Quinn is nothing new but there is something to both of them acknowledging her relationship to Brittany in some small way, whatever it might be, that has Santana wanting to smile. Putting that thought aside for now, Santana brings the conversation back to the main point at hand, meeting Malek's gaze across the fire. "Willowcrest is far enough away that I don't believe that those that attacked that coven will be a threat but, with the coven gone at Rivers Run, and the other one last month in Raker's Point, is it time that we do something?"

"Do you mean join the resistance, Santana?"

Malek's question is a valid one and it's one that Santana had been vaguely considering before Brittany had even showed up. She wasn't under any false impressions that they could remain there untouched forever. Even with the fighting concentrated far east of their position, Brittany's arrival there was as much a reminder as any that it may soon be the case that no land would be safe from Aleksander and his dark army. Despite her reluctance to risk her life and the lives of her pack, Santana is forced to acknowledge that sooner or later, they will all have to wade back into the dangers of this war. She's just not so sure that now is the right time.

Shaking her head, Santana takes a moment to look around at her pack before answering his question. "No, not that, not…yet. Do you all still feel safe here? Do you want to leave and find another place? I know where Connell stands on this but where do you all stand?"

"I'm with Connell and not just because he's my brother. This place we've made here, it's a good place, Santana. I'm happy here and I think we should try to hold onto this place for as long as we can."

Santana's gets a nod from Malek and she looks over to Nicolas who is once again looking into the fire. "Nicolas?"

"You know I've never had a home, Santana. This place is as good as any."

"Well, thank you for the strong vote of confidence."

Flushing at Santana's tone, Nicolas runs a hand over his beard before turning to face her more fully. "That's not…I just mean, my home is with you. And with the pack. Wherever you all are, that's my home. And if here is where we lay our head at night and where we share our meals and where I can consistently win some coin from Connell in a game of _woust_, then here is where I'll remain."

Looking away as Connell reaches over to punch Nicolas' arm lightly, Santana finds Quinn watching her and she angles her body towards her. "Quinn, you've been quiet. What do you think?"

"I think it took us a long time to find this place and we've all been through a lot to get here. I think we all deserve a little piece of happiness and peace while we have it for as long as we can have it. The war will come to our doorstep soon enough and I don't know about you all, but I'm not eager to meet it. Not just yet. Not after everything."

The look in Quinn's eyes is a familiar one to Santana and the emotion in Quinn's voice has Santana holding her gaze a little longer. The shared history between them is a heavy one and she knows the yearning of Quinn to have a place to call home, without the fighting, because it's one she shares as well. As she prepares to state her opinion and what will become the final say in the matter, Santana has to push down the tiny part of her that's uncomfortable with not doing anything while there are witches out there dying but when she assumed the role of alpha, she took on the responsibility for these other people. And at least for this moment, she doesn't know that risking their lives on the off-chance that they could be found out is worth it. She has to trust that her magic will hold and even though she recognizes the irony in thinking it, she has to trust that there are people out there fighting back, keeping the darkness away from her door.

"It seems as if we are all in agreement. For now, we will stay here and we will remain diligent in our patrols. Though, we will expand the perimeters of our patrols and we will work out the scheduling for that so none of you bear the brunt of that. As we all well know, safe havens have become few and far between and like you, I'm not ready to give this one up just yet. However, I reserve the right to recall this Dacrem at any time if the situation changes, as is my right as alpha. Are you all in agreeme…"

A twig snaps and Santana turns around, the fire clearly illuminating the figure behind her. As the person approaches, Santana feels her heart sink as she sees the look on Brittany's face. Before she can say anything, a low growl sounds to her right and she looks back, the hazel of Quinn's eyes growing lighter as she steps closer to where Brittany is standing. "Quinn, don't."

Quinn stops advancing about a foot from the edge of the ceremonial circle and Santana can see the tension in the lines of her body, the disturbance of the Dacrem by an outsider a grave offense to Quinn. Trusting that Quinn will still honor the rules of the ceremony regardless of her feelings, Santana turns back and meet's Brittany's blue eyes, unable to keep the confusion and slight hurt from her voice. "Brittany, what are you doing here?"


End file.
